The Government notes and accepts the decision of the High Court today in relation to certain provisions of the Workplaces (Protection from Protesters) Act 2014.
However, we make no apology for seeking to protect the right of workers to earn a living free from being disrupted by protestors.
In its official summary note the High Court has said that, “A majority of the Court held that the Protesters Act pursued the legitimate purpose of protecting businesses and their operations by ensuring that protesters do not prevent, hinder or obstruct the carrying out of business activities on business premises.”
However, we accept the findings of the High Court that certain provisions designed to achieve this in respect of forestry land are invalid.
There is a significant amount of detail in the findings of the High Court and we will take the appropriate time to analyse the judgement and its effect on the remainder of the Act.