The New Zealand Court of Appeal has ruled against the Covid-19 vaccination mandate which was forced upon members of the New Zealand Armed Forces, citing breaches of rights.
In a bombshell legal decision, the Court of Appeal in New Zealand has sided with members of the Defence Force, deeming the mandate for Covid-19 vaccination at workplaces unlawful.
The court found that while the Defence Force had the right to add Covid-19 vaccinations to its schedule, the consequences imposed by the mandate were disproportionate.
Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters, took to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, to express his views on the ruling, stating:
"New Zealand First campaigned on and fought for the removal of any and all remaining workplace mandates being enforced, and we ensured it was included in our coalition deal with National. This ruling by the Court of Appeal is evidence that it is the right and just thing to do to get rid of these remaining mandates."
The Court highlighted that the Defence Force failed to prove that such strict measures were necessary for maintaining the efficacy of the Armed Forces.
As a result, the Court directed the Chief of Defence Force to reassess the mandate in accordance with the judgment and refrain from taking further action until the reconsideration is completed.
Last year, the Court heard that 55 members, from a workforce of about 15,000 including civilians, had refused the Covid jab at the time the case was filed in 2022. Of those, 17 members were retained and 22 were discharged. The ruling opens the way for the resisters to sue the government over how they were persecuted for resisting tyranny.