Djokovic Ejection Sets ‘Dangerous’ Precedent Around Free Speech: Australian Legal Groups

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic walks in Melbourne Airport before boarding a flight, after the Federal Court upheld a government decision to cancel his visa to play in the Australian Open, in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 16, 2022. Loren Elliott/Reuters

Legal experts are warning the ejection of world number one male tennis player Novak Djokovic from Australian shores after government claims his presence could stoke “anti-vaccination sentiment” is setting a “dangerous” precedent that could further erode free speech around issues such as COVID-19.

While government ministers have maintained that the ejection of the Serbian was on “health, safety and good order grounds”—according to a statement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison—court documents revealed a different picture.