Legal bid against Herald and Age in Lattouf case fails
On February 3, during Antoinette Lattouf's unlawful termination suit against the ABC, Justice Darryl Rangiah made a 10-year suppression order over the 'names, identities, contact details and addresses of persons who made complaints' about Lattouf's employment by the ABC.
The order was made 'on the ground that it is necessary to protect the safety of persons'.
Rangiah said at the time that he was satisfied there was 'a substantial risk' the individuals 'will face, at least, vilification and harassment if their identities and contact details were available to the public'.
Lawyers acting for people whose identities are said to be protected by the suppression order in the Lattouf case allege Herald editor Bevan Shields and The Age editor Patrick Elligett, as well as two in-house lawyers, two reporters and the publishing companies, breached the order.
The four articles at the centre of the dispute were published last year, before the suppression order was made.
Rangiah noted in a decision on Friday that '[the] articles remained available online even after the order was made' but were amended in March this year 'to remove the names of the relevant persons without any admission that the publishers were obliged to do so'.
At a preliminary hearing in April, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, acting for the group, said: 'Only one order is sought, and that is a referral under … the Federal Court Rules to the principal registrar to consider whether proceedings should be instituted for the punishment of contempt'.
But Tom Blackburn, SC, acting for the mastheads, said the registrar would have no 'independent discretion' and would have to commence contempt proceedings if Rangiah made the order.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Police warn motorists ahead of Harbour Bridge rally
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after a court authorised a rally, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to monitor the event. Thousands of protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza. NSW Police on Saturday urged all protesters to act peacefully and respectfully, warning the rally would be watched closely. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg in her judgment said arguments the rally would cause disruption on the bridge were not sufficient to bar the protest. "It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said. She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections from offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter Mckenna said. "We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route, and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday. "Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Mr Mckenna said his concerns about public safety had not changed and he urged people to avoid the city as there would be disruptions. "We will call upon these organisers to really speak to the people coming in to this protest to ensure they do listen to us, that they work with us so we can do our very, very best to make sure people are kept safe," he said. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government". "The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge. Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found. Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages. Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after a court authorised a rally, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to monitor the event. Thousands of protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza. NSW Police on Saturday urged all protesters to act peacefully and respectfully, warning the rally would be watched closely. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg in her judgment said arguments the rally would cause disruption on the bridge were not sufficient to bar the protest. "It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said. She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections from offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter Mckenna said. "We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route, and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday. "Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Mr Mckenna said his concerns about public safety had not changed and he urged people to avoid the city as there would be disruptions. "We will call upon these organisers to really speak to the people coming in to this protest to ensure they do listen to us, that they work with us so we can do our very, very best to make sure people are kept safe," he said. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government". "The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge. Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found. Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages. Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after a court authorised a rally, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to monitor the event. Thousands of protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza. NSW Police on Saturday urged all protesters to act peacefully and respectfully, warning the rally would be watched closely. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg in her judgment said arguments the rally would cause disruption on the bridge were not sufficient to bar the protest. "It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said. She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections from offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter Mckenna said. "We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route, and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday. "Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Mr Mckenna said his concerns about public safety had not changed and he urged people to avoid the city as there would be disruptions. "We will call upon these organisers to really speak to the people coming in to this protest to ensure they do listen to us, that they work with us so we can do our very, very best to make sure people are kept safe," he said. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government". "The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge. Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found. Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages. Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after a court authorised a rally, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to monitor the event. Thousands of protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza. NSW Police on Saturday urged all protesters to act peacefully and respectfully, warning the rally would be watched closely. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg in her judgment said arguments the rally would cause disruption on the bridge were not sufficient to bar the protest. "It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said. She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections from offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter Mckenna said. "We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route, and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday. "Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Mr Mckenna said his concerns about public safety had not changed and he urged people to avoid the city as there would be disruptions. "We will call upon these organisers to really speak to the people coming in to this protest to ensure they do listen to us, that they work with us so we can do our very, very best to make sure people are kept safe," he said. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government". "The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge. Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found. Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
US envoy visits Gaza aid operation the UN calls unsafe
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Steve Witkoff on Friday visited a site run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hours after Witkoff's visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Steve Witkoff on Friday visited a site run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hours after Witkoff's visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Steve Witkoff on Friday visited a site run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hours after Witkoff's visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Steve Witkoff on Friday visited a site run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hours after Witkoff's visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident in which soldiers fired warning shots at what it described as a "gathering of suspects" approaching its troops, hundreds of metres from the aid site. The UN says more than 1000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN Israel blames Hamas and the UN for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. Hamas on Friday released a video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David in one of its tunnels appearing skeletally thin. Its allied Islamic Jihad militant group released a video on Thursday of hostage Rom Braslavski, crying and pleading for his release. Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. Gaza medics say dozens of people have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the UN and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The UN says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Israel began allowing food air drops this week, but UN agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks. On Friday, the Israeli military said that 126 food packages were airdropped by six countries, including for the first time France, Spain, and Germany. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Tony Abbott says Australia is on a ‘slippery slope' after court backs Palestine protest on Harbour Bridge
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has launched a scathing attack on the New South Wales Supreme Court after it ruled in favour of a mass pro-Palestine march set to take place across the Sydney Harbour Bridge this Sunday. Posting to X, formerly Twitter, Mr Abbott said: 'It should not be for judges to decide when a political protest is justified. The decision to close the Sydney Harbour Bridge to facilitate this protest is a political decision and should be made by elected and accountable ministers - who as it happens, think the march should not go ahead,' he posted. 'We are on a slippery slope when unelected judges start making political judgments.' The march, which organisers say could draw as many as 50,000 people, will now proceed with legal protections after a Supreme Court ruling found it met the threshold to be considered an 'authorised' assembly under NSW law. Justice Belinda Rigg handed down the decision on Friday, saying there was a clear public interest in allowing the protest to proceed. 'The march at this location is motivated by the belief that the horror and urgency of the situation in Gaza demands an urgent and extraordinary response from the people of the world.' She added: 'The evidence indicates there is significant support for the march,' she said in her judgement. Police had previously rejected the application for the march, citing a lack of preparation time and safety risks, including the possibility of a crowd crush and major traffic gridlock. But the court found that public inconvenience alone wasn't a valid reason to shut down the demonstration, with Rigg stating: 'If matters such as this were to be determinative, no assembly involving inconvenience would be permitted.' The court's ruling grants demonstrator's protection from being charged under the Summary Offences Act, including for obstructing traffic. However, police will still have powers to address any illegal behaviour on the day. Protesters will be expected to comply with directions, and police can still act against antisocial conduct, violence, or the display of prohibited symbols. Justice Rigg said the demonstration was likely to cause disruption but emphasised that peaceful protest in response to global humanitarian crises carries high democratic value. She rejected suggestions her decision would enable violence or hinder emergency services, stating it 'does not condone any antisocial behaviour or violence at the demonstration or ambulances not getting to hospital on time'. Police Minister Yasmin Catley confirmed the government accepted the court's decision and urged the public to avoid the CBD during the protest. 'Police, we believe, will be able to handle the protest on the bridge tomorrow, so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what the police ask them to do,' she said. 'But make no mistake, there is going to be massive, massive disruption. So our message is, avoid the city if you can.' The ruling has sparked political backlash, with NSW Premier Chris Minns previously voicing his opposition to the event and warning against allowing the city to 'descend into chaos'. Despite this, at least five Labor MPs, Stephen Lawrence, Sarah Kaine, Anthony D'Adam, Lynda Voltz, and Cameron Murphy, signed an open letter on Thursday night calling on the government to support 'a safe and orderly event' on Sunday. Palestine Action Group, which is organising the march, had already made it clear the protest would go ahead regardless of the court's decision. A separate counter-protest, organised by the Christian group Never Again is Now, was denied legal protections due to its late application. The group had planned to rally near the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. Justice Rigg ruled that police would retain the power to move the group on, or arrest participants if necessary. There is no explicit right to protest in NSW law, but the High Court has recognised an implied right to freedom of political communication under the Australian Constitution. This ruling means that protests cannot be banned outright, even when disruptive, provided organisers follow the legal process. Sunday's march will proceed with traffic and transport disruptions expected across the city. Police have urged participants to follow instructions closely, and the Human Rights Law Centre has reminded protesters that authorisation does not give them licence to act unlawfully.
