- Judge rules he should be released, overturns government’s decision
Judge Anthony Kelly has ruled in Melbourne quashing the Australian government’s decision to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa and ordered that he should be released within 30 minutes of the decision.
The Serbian tennis player flew into Melbourne last week hoping to defend his Australian Open title after claiming to have medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination.
But instead, he has been held in an immigration detention centre with Australia’s Border authorities claiming no such authorization came from them.
His visa to come into Melbourne to defend his Australian Open title was cancelled.
But in the ruling a few minutes ago, the judge ruled that the respondent — in this case, the Ministry of Home Affairs — must pay Djokovic’s costs as agreed or assessed.
All his belongings, including his passport, must be returned to him “as soon as reasonably practicable”.
The decision was officially made at 5:16 p.m. local time in Australia (1:16 a.m. ET), Kelly said.
