Australian women given green light to sue Qatar Airways over alleged invasive strip searches
They claim the airline and the airport operator were negligent and breached their duty of care to passengers who were forced off the plane and subjected to searches.
The women's lawyer, Damian Sturzaker, said they were "very pleased with the outcome" after a "long and stressful struggle". Source: AAP / Biancha De Marchi A judge previously dismissed the women's claims against Qatar Airways as having no prospect of success because the searches didn't occur when disembarking or embarking the plane. However, the Full Court determined on Thursday there was "no sufficiently high degree of certainty" that was the case and ruled it is an issue that should be decided at trial. Chief Justice Debra Mortimer, Justice Angus Stewart, and Justice Stephen Stellios upheld the primary ruling that the women could not sue the QCAA because it has immunity as an entity of a foreign state. Qatar Airways was ordered to pay the legal bill accrued by the women during the appeal. The court battle between the two parties is not expected to be heard this year. Outside the court, Sturzaker said he was confident in his steadfast clients' case against the airline and the airport operator. "They always would have liked to see a resolution to the matter, but if that can't be achieved, then of course the matter will go to hearing," he said.
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