NSW faces constitutional showdown as parliament’s push to expel convicted rapist Gareth Ward delayed by supreme court

NSW MP Gareth Ward was found guilty in late July of sexually abusing two young men. Moves to expel him have sparked a potential constitutional showdown. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Convicted rapist MP Gareth Ward will face an urgent court hearing on Thursday after he sought an injunction to stop his parliamentary colleagues expelling him from the New South Wales parliament.

The Minns government on Tuesday sought the hearing in the state’s supreme court to lift an ex parte injunction granted the previous day to Ward. The injunction prevents parliament, until at least Thursday, from moving to expel the member for Kiama.