• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Aussies Who Refused To Get Covid-19 Vaccine Believe Their Anti-Vaxx Stance Is A 'Disability'

Home> News

Published 06:06 5 Apr 2022 GMT+1

Aussies Who Refused To Get Covid-19 Vaccine Believe Their Anti-Vaxx Stance Is A 'Disability'

The 250-person strong group of West Australians plans to lodge complaints with the Australian Human Rights Commission this month.

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang

A group of unvaccinated nurses, firefighters, teachers, police, and prison guards, who were all stood down from their jobs for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, are taking a discrimination complaint to court.

This collective is claiming their anti-vaxx stance is a 'disability' and the 250-strong group intends to lodge a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission, according to The West Australian.

If the complaint is upheld, the sacked workers would be able to seek reemployment and back-pay through Australia's Federal Court.

Anti-vaxxers rally.
Andy Barton / Alamy Stock Photo

Advert

Hotchkin Hanly Lawyers partner Mark Hemery, who is representing the group of anti-vaxxers, said the 'first wave' of complaints would be lodged within a fortnight and will focus on the cases of more than 80 healthcare workers.

The second batch will feature submissions on behalf of police, firefighters, prison guards and teachers.

That submission will be filed towards the end of April, and The West Australian says it could include complaints lodged on behalf of some tradies and FIFO employees.

Mr Hemery said the group will grow significantly if dumped construction workers chose to join the group action.

The lawyer's current trove of clients is headed up by WA Police senior constable Ben Falconer, after he and 28 other officers were stood down from their jobs for refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Advert

A fourth Covid vaccine will be needed according to Pfizer's CEO.
Simon Belcher/Alamy

The application for judicial review of the police mandate is currently before the Supreme Court, and it names WA's Chief Health Officer (CHO) Andy Robertson and WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson as respondents.

Dawson is set to be West Australia's 34th Governor, according to the ABC.

The police trial had previously been listed to kick off on March 29, but was adjourned when the State Solicitor’s Office withdrew an affidavit by the WA CHO, which deprived Falconer's legal team from the chance to cross-examine Dr Robertson in court.

That has resulted in a new application on behalf of the Senior Constable to submit expert evidence to support his claim from Flinders University Professor Nikolai Petrovsky.

Petrovsky was previously a key witness in a High Court challenge in New Zealand that saw in vaccine mandates for police and defence force employees ruled as unjustified.

Advert

While Falconer and his colleagues are receiving full pay in in the interim while they levy their complaint in the courts, that is not the same for sacked West Australian workers in other industries.

Lawyer Mark Hemery said their applications for judicial review are currently put on hold while they wait for an outcome of the police case.

“That is why we are lodging disability discrimination complaints with the Human Rights Commission because it would provide a platform for those workers to seek re-instatement and back pay,” he said.

Featured Image Credit: James Cole / Alamy Stock Photo. PhotoEdit / Alamy Stock Photo.

Topics: Coronavirus, Australia, News

Rachel Lang
Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

X

@rlangjournalist

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Strict process to be granted entry into UK's biggest swinging festival as organiser explains why it's so important

    Matt Cole and his wife Stacie are the masterminds behind Swingathon, which is returning for its fifth year this weekend

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Woman who filmed 'Coldplay couple' reveals why she decided to share the video

    Grace Springer shared the video on TikTok on Wednesday (16 July)

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Dad dies after being bitten by bat while trying to remove it from his home

    An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding Craig Nolte's illness

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Company releases statement after CEO was 'caught with another woman' at Coldplay concert in viral video

    Astronomer has shared a statement following the viral video

    News
  • Doctor Says Those Who Haven’t Yet Caught Covid-19 Clearly Don’t Have Any Friends
  • World Health Organization Reveals Covid-19 Death Toll Is Almost Triple Official Number
  • Scientists Confirm New Covid-19 Variant Called Deltacron