Statement from ASRC in response to High Court judgement on bridging visa conditions

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) welcomes today’s High Court decision striking down the Federal Government’s use of punitive monitoring and control conditions on people living in the community on bridging visas.

This is a critical affirmation of the rule of law and the constitutional limits on executive power, impacting on some of the refugees who we work with.

Quotes can be attributed to Jana Favero, Deputy CEO Asylum Seeker Resource Centre:

“This judgement makes clear what we have known all along – the Albanese Government has been making rushed laws on the run, with no regard for fairness or our country’s constitution.”

“Australians can see through this – we want to live in a country where when you’ve served your sentence, you can start rebuilding your life. We have separation of powers for a reason – the courts in our country have the expertise and the authority to determine punishment and what is needed to keep our community safe, not unilateral decisions by a Minister.”

“We work with people every day who are affected by these conditions – their lives have been turned upside down by these politicised punishments imposed on them simply because of where they were born.”