Doctors for Refugees

We brought the case of Doctors for Refugees Incorporated v the Commonwealth of Australia (2016) to the High Court of Australia, challenging new secrecy provisions in the Australian Border Force Act 2015 (Cth) on the grounds of unjustifiable burden on the freedom of political communication. Advocacy and lobbying alongside the case engaged a broad collaboration of legal, health and refugee advocates. In October 2016, an exemption was passed excluding health care professionals from the operation of the Act. Our clients pressed on with the case, and subsequently, the Commonwealth Government introduced and passed substantial reforms to the secrecy provisions under challenge, expanding the scope for communication on matters of political and social concern for all workers in immigration detention centre environments.