NSW Police could have sought a Supreme Court prohibition order in a bid to block a neo-Nazi rally outside state parliament, legal experts say, but it opted not to test its existing powers in court.

Amid the fallout from the rally on Saturday, the Minns government flagged it was considering tightening criminal laws targeting hate speech to ban specific Nazi phrases, while Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon suggested existing powers to block protests are narrow.

But lawyers cautioned against a knee-jerk rush to pass new laws.

NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Timothy Roberts said “police had adequate powers at the very least to challenge the protest”.

“You can’t arrest your way to social cohesion,” he said.

University of NSW Professor Luke McNamara said that “seeking a prohibition

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