Jakarta – Constitutional Court chief Mahfud M.D. said Monday the court's recent refusal to review the highly controversial pornography law was decided without external pressure as some may have suspected.

"We are not influenced by pressure. We did not bow to demonstrators. Even if President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono attempted to apply pressure we would have fought back," Mahmud said.

Mahfud said the law was controversial regardless of what the court decided.

Last week, the court refused a review petition filed by a number of parties, including the Balinese and North Sulawesi provincial administrations, women groups and human rights activists.

These parties dismissed the law as a threat to local culture and women rights, and because it was based on Islamic values that were not shared by all citizens. The law allegedly receives most support from Muslim groups and resistance from others.

In its ruling, the court argued that petitioners' arguments did not have sound legal arguments and the law did not conflict with the 1945 Constitution. A judge who disagreed with the verdict was outvoted.

"We cannot please everybody," Mahfud said as quoted by detik.com.

The holiday island of Bali has reoprtedly been steadfast in rejecting the morality law, which it fears will negatively impact on tourism.