Novak Djokovic has won his legal battle, but there is no guarantee that he can stay in Melbourne to play the Australian Open.
The Tribunal presided over by Anthony Kelly proved the world's number 1 Serbian tennis player right, overturning the Australian government's decision to cancel the visa and ordering his release within 30 minutes.
The government was also sentenced to pay legal fees, Djokovic's passport was returned and he will be able, unless the government decides to the contrary, to participate in the tournament starting next Monday.
"What more could this man have done?" Said the judge, referring to the fact that Nole has obtained a travel permit and medical exemption from Tennis Australia. The judge found "unreasonable" in the way in which the person in charge at the border made the decision to cancel the tennis player's visa.
Djokovic had told the border authorities upon entering Australia that he was not vaccinated and that he had had Covid twice, in June 2020 and last December 16, which was then denied on December 22. It remains to be seen how he was able to participate in public events on December 16 and 17, if it was positive.
Now the government, as the Canberra executive pointed out yesterday, can still decide to cancel the visa for other reasons. An executive lawyer also reiterated this this morning, making it known that Australia can still order the expulsion: "The minister has the personal power to expel the player".
The immigration minister, Alex Hawke, can now intervene personally and therefore decide to cancel the visa for other reasons, reports the Guardian. If that happens, the case could go back to court as Djokovic risks being banned from Australia for three years. Thus, the champion's participation in the Australian Open, starting on 17 January, remains in doubt.
In any case, for now Nole is free: the minister, according to the newspaper The Age, will not decide today on the possible revocation of the visa.
(Unioneonline / L)