Court Finds NZ Military’s Vaccine Mandate Unlawful

The judge found that vaccine mandates were ‘not needed,’ as per ‘health advice.’

Two brothers at the drive-through vaccination centre at North Shore Events Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, on Jan. 17, 2022. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

New Zealand’s Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling against the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) over the legality of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed during the pandemic.

Announced in November 2021, a government public health order required unvaccinated NZ defence and police staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before March 1, 2022, or likely face termination. The order affected around 300 of the over 30,000 staff across the agencies.