Novak Djokovic is out of the Australian Open, once again, after immigration minister Alex Hawke cancelled his visa.
Djokovic’s lawyers had won him an eight-day stay of execution following the world No 1’s original immigration issues at Tullamarine Airport.
But the hammer finally dropped on Djokovic for a second time on Friday, just before 6pm.
Although Djokovic is not entitled to appeal against Hawke’s verdict, he can call for a judicial review. And his lawyers have already indicated that they were preparing their case for exactly this eventuality.
“Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.
“This decision followed orders by the Federal Circuit and Family Court on Jan 10 2022, quashing a prior cancellation decision on procedural fairness grounds.
“In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr Djokovic.
“The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I thank the officers of the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force who work every day to serve Australia’s interest in increasingly challenging operational environments.”
More to follow