The 34-year-old is seeking to appeal the abrupt revocation of his visa so he can leave a Melbourne detention center and seek his 10th victory at the Australian Open, which begins on January 17.
Federal Court Judge Anthony Kelly called an online hearing to rule on the case on Monday, in a legal drama that has intrigued fans of the sport around the world.
Djokovic, an openly skeptical of vaccines, did not reveal his status regarding the immunization against “Covid 19”, but in a 13-page court filing published Sunday, Australian government lawyers said that the issue of “common ground” between the two sides in the legal dispute is that Djokovic “is not vaccinated.” “.
They added that people who have not been vaccinated pose a greater risk of transmitting corona infection to others, which places a burden on the health system.
Djokovic said he was exempted from the “Covid 19” vaccination when he traveled to Australia on Wednesday, after he tested positive for the virus on December 16, 2021.
Lawyers for Home Secretary Karen Andrews stressed that the country’s vaccination exemption states that a previous infection “does not preclude vaccination”.
They also rejected another argument, that Joko was treated unfairly because he was pressured to allow the border officer to decide on his visa without giving him additional time to rest and consult with his lawyer.
They confirmed that Djokovic was given sufficient time to present his case to the border agent, and had previously contacted his lawyer.
The Australian government stated that “the application should be rejected and costs borne”.
Even if the judge sided with Djokovic, the lawyers said, he should only cancel the visa, and border controls should make “another cancellation decision.”
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