The New South Wales government and its police force have accumulated a substantial legal bill, nearing half a million Australian dollars, from their unsuccessful efforts to defend protest laws against challenges from pro-Palestine groups. Documents obtained through freedom of information legislation reveal these significant taxpayer expenditures, highlighting the financial implications of legislative measures later deemed unconstitutional.
Among the most costly cases was a single challenge to the controversial Public Assembly Restriction Declaration (PARD) laws, which alone accounted for A$117,455.50 in legal fees. These laws were swiftly introduced following the Bondi beach attack and were in effect during a notable rally against Israeli President Isaac Herzog in February 2026. The state's Court of Appeal ultimately struck down these PARD laws in April 2026, ruling that they unduly infringed upon the implied constitutional right to freedom of political communication.
This marks the second instance within six months where anti-protest legislation passed by the Minns government has been found unconstitutional. Previously, the NSW Supreme Court invalidated an older law that granted police expanded powers to prevent protests near places of worship. This earlier case incurred approximately A$96,400 in barrister and solicitor fees for the government. The Palestine Action Group has since confirmed that the government paid A$184,584 in legal costs to their lawyers following this particular case.
Further costs have been borne by NSW Police in separate court cases where they opposed applications to authorise pro-Palestine protests. In one instance, the force spent over A$91,600 on external legal counsel to contest an application for a protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, a case which police ultimately lost. Unlike the government's figures, the police's disclosed costs do not include their in-house legal staff expenses.
In total, the NSW government and police have spent at least A$490,000 on cases they lost against pro-Palestine groups in the state's highest courts, alongside A$87,099.29 on cases they successfully contested. Josh Lees, an organiser for the Palestine Action Group, which was involved in all five cases, commented that this considerable expenditure demonstrates the lengths to which the government has gone to restrict democratic rights.