DENVER — Colorado’s tough ethics rules for public officials may soon be back in force after the state Supreme Court ruled Monday that a lower court did not have the authority to delay them.

A Denver district court had ruled in May the rules went “beyond what was anticipated or intended” and issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement.

The Supreme Court said the lower court didn’t have jurisdiction in the case and it vacated the injunction. Opponents of the rules have two weeks to appeal before the high court’s decision takes effect.

The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the rules.

The rules are part of a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November 2006. They ban lobbyists from buying meals or gifts worth more than $50 for state lawmakers. They also ban gifts worth more than $50 to state employees or their families.

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