The Federal Court overturned the Australian Government’s decision to cancel the visa of the Serbian tennis star. This once again revives the defending champion’s chances to win a record 21st Grand Slam title at the upcoming Australian Open.
A Federal Court has overturned the Australian Government’s decision to cancel the visa of the Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic. This has cleared the way for the tennis star to play in the Australian Open that
commences from January 17, a report in the Indian Express says.
This once more revives the defending champion’s chance to win a record 21st Grand Slam title at the upcoming Australian Open.
Federal Circuit Court judge Anthony Kelly ordered the immediate release of Djokovic, 34, who had been held in an immigration detention hotel alongside long-term asylum seeker detainees since his arrival in Melbourne last week.
The Australian government cancelled his visa shortly after his arrival because officials decided he didn’t meet the criteria for entry exemption based on the requirement that all non-citizens be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Djokovic, who court documents say is unvaccinated, said he did not need proof of vaccination because he had evidence that he had been infected with the coronavirus last month.
Australian medical authorities have ruled that a temporary exemption for the vaccination rule can be provided to people who have been infected with the COVID-19 virus within a six-month period.
Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly noted that Djokovic had provided officials at Melbourne’s airport with a medical exemption given him by Tennis Australia, which is organisers of the tournament, as well as by two medical panels.
The Australian government cancelled his visa shortly after his arrival because officials decided he didn’t meet the criteria for entry exemption based on the requirement that all non-citizens be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
The point I’m somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done?” Kelly asked Djokovic’s lawyer, Nick Wood.
However, lawyers for the federal government told the court the country’s immigration minister was reserving the right to exercise his personal power to again revoke Djokovic’s visa.
The Australian government said non-citizens had no right of guaranteed entry to Australia, and questioned his claimed exemption.
It also stressed that even if Djokovic wins the court action, it still reserved the right to detain him again and remove him from the country.
The tennis star was permitted to attend proceedings in his lawyers’ chambers for the virtual hearings but had not been seen in public since he arrived in Australia.
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