Australia's hefty legal bill in Novak saga revealed
During a Senate hearing on Monday night, the cost of Australia's legal proceedings against tennis champ Novak Djokovic were revealed.
The Department of Home Affairs reportedly had to pay an estimated $360,000 over the weeks long saga, but this is not the official final figure of money spent.
This hefty sum doesn’t take into account the division of legal costs that were awarded in both court stoushes that took place.
The Department of Home Affairs was ordered to pay the legal costs for the first Federal Court matter in which Novak first had his visa cancelled.
But Djokovic was ordered to pay the costs in his subsequent failed bid to overturn Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s decision to send the Serbian tennis champ packing for being unvaccinated.
“Hopefully they’ll net out to zero,” Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo said during the hearing.
The department’s legal group manager Pip De Veau said that the fees had yet to be paid, but it was estimated to be $360,000, not taking into account these cost orders.
“The combined estimate at this stage was in the vicinity of $360,000 without any awards going either way,” she said.
“Costs were awarded against the department in the first proceedings, costs were awarded for the department in the second."
“We’ll need to get the invoices and make the determination in consultation with Mr Djokovic’s lawyers as to how those two cost orders are sorted out.”
Novak Djokovic was deported before the Australian Open, stopping him from competing.
“I will respect the court’s ruling and I will co-operate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country,” Djokovic said at the time.
“I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can now focus on the game and the tournament I love.”
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