World number one Novak Djokovic won legal battle in Australia after his visa was canceled for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the Australian Open.
Judge Anthony Kelly canceled decision to cancel the award-winning tennis player’s visa and ordered his release within 30 minutes of the verdict.
The defendant Ministry of the Interior must pay Djokovic’s expenses in accordance with the agreement or accrued amount, the court ruling said. All his belongings, including his passport, must be returned to him as soon as possible.
The tennis player flew to Australia on January 5, having previously announced on social networks that he had a medical exemption from the coronavirus vaccine, which was supposed to protect him from existing in a country of strict rules. The medical exemption, as it turned out later, was obtained on the basis of a positive test result, which confirmed the illness the athlete suffered in mid-December.
However, Djokovic was detained at the border, where, after eight hours of interrogation, his passport was confiscated and his visa was revoked.
The border service decided that there were no sufficient medical grounds to exempt the tennis player from vaccination. The athlete was placed in a special immigration center where refugees have been held for years awaiting political asylum.
Judge Kelly spoke in Djokovic’s defense and demanded to know what else the athlete could have done to meet the requirements for entry into Australia. The government admitted during the hearing that it did not give the tennis player and his team enough time to respond to the message about the cancellation of his visa.
After the verdict was announced, Judge Kelly referred to a statement by the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The Australian Immigration Minister may still personally intervene in the matter and be able to cancel the player’s visa regardless of new circumstances. If the minister Alex Hawk decides to take these actions, Djokovic could face a new legal battle and possibly a ban from entering Australia for up to three years.
Djokovic is not the only athlete to find himself in a similar situation. Australian government revokes Czech tennis player’s visa Renata Vorachovaas well as one official, whose name has not been released. All of them were already in the country by the time their visas were invalidated. Voracova was accommodated in the same hotel as Djokovic. The tennis player arrived in Australia a week earlier than her colleague and managed to play one match.
Judge Anthony Kelly canceled decision to cancel the award-winning tennis player’s visa and ordered his release within 30 minutes of the verdict.
The defendant Ministry of the Interior must pay Djokovic’s expenses in accordance with the agreement or accrued amount, the court ruling said. All his belongings, including his passport, must be returned to him as soon as possible.
The tennis player flew to Australia on January 5, having previously announced on social networks that he had a medical exemption from the coronavirus vaccine, which was supposed to protect him from existing in a country of strict rules. The medical exemption, as it turned out later, was obtained on the basis of a positive test result, which confirmed the illness the athlete suffered in mid-December.
However, Djokovic was detained at the border, where, after eight hours of interrogation, his passport was confiscated and his visa was revoked.
The border service decided that there were no sufficient medical grounds to exempt the tennis player from vaccination. The athlete was placed in a special immigration center where refugees have been held for years awaiting political asylum.
Judge Kelly spoke in Djokovic’s defense and demanded to know what else the athlete could have done to meet the requirements for entry into Australia. The government admitted during the hearing that it did not give the tennis player and his team enough time to respond to the message about the cancellation of his visa.
After the verdict was announced, Judge Kelly referred to a statement by the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The Australian Immigration Minister may still personally intervene in the matter and be able to cancel the player’s visa regardless of new circumstances. If the minister Alex Hawk decides to take these actions, Djokovic could face a new legal battle and possibly a ban from entering Australia for up to three years.
Djokovic is not the only athlete to find himself in a similar situation. Australian government revokes Czech tennis player’s visa Renata Vorachovaas well as one official, whose name has not been released. All of them were already in the country by the time their visas were invalidated. Voracova was accommodated in the same hotel as Djokovic. The tennis player arrived in Australia a week earlier than her colleague and managed to play one match.
Australian court reinstates Novak Djokovic’s visa
World number one Novak Djokovic has won a legal battle in Australia after his visa was canceled for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the Australian Open.
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