68 VR 433
Cotterill v Romanes and Sutton

Published 12 September 2023

Cotterill v Romanes and Sutton

Supreme Court of Victoria

Niall JA

17/08/2021

[2021] VSC 498

Constitutional law — Commonwealth — Implied freedom of political communication — Directions given by State officials under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic) to address a serious risk to public health arising from COVID-19 pandemic — Directions restricting movement of people and public gatherings — Whether directions infringed implied freedom of political communication — Whether plaintiff had standing to seek relief — Whether constitutional test to be applied at the level of the authorizing statute or of directions made under it — Whether relevant statutory provisions infringed the implied freedom of political communication — Whether utility in granting relief — Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic), ss 200(1)(b) and (d)

Read the judgment here.