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    Police search powers were invalid and unlawful, Federal Court rules
    Australia

    Police search powers were invalid and unlawful, Federal Court rules

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    4. TheNumberOneRat on

      Big shout out to the HRLC for taking this case on.

      It’s ludicrous that, in a free country, you can be stopped and searched without even meeting the reasonable suspicion bar.

    5. lipstikpig on

      Last month: [Court awards $54,000 to protester for Victoria Police’s use of capsicum spray](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-12/court-awards-damages-to-protester-victoria-police-capsicum-spray/106136220)

      > A Supreme Court judge has awarded $54,000 in damages to a protester who sued police over their use of OC (capsicum) spray at a protest in 2019.

      > Justice Claire Harris found that the use of OC spray constituted a battery, causing Mr Brown physical injury and contributed to psychological injury. The judge found the use “constituted cruel and degrading treatment” and limited the plaintiff’s rights to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly.

      **She also found that its use was a breach of the Human Rights Act.**

      > Police argued officers used the spray in self-defence, but Judge Harris found that self-defence had not been established, and its use at the IMARC protest was not proportionate.

      > But the judge said the decision was not a precedent for Victoria Police’s use of OC spray. “The evidence will not set a precedent for every other case,” Justice Harris said.