Public Servant’s Free Speech
Posted on: Fri 9 Aug 2019
A former public servant involved in a landmark free speech case has been ruled as not being unlawfully fired. The High Court ruled there was a breach in the public service code of conduct.
Michaela Banerji was sacked back in 2013 after her tweets were considered critical of the Federal Government. She pursued the case in court, arguing that the decision to let her go was unreasonable.
Upon losing her case, Banerji said that “it’s a loss for all of us, and I’m very, very, very sorry.”
“The only advantage of this case and taking this action was to affirm the role of this freedom of speech for public servants, and we failed,” she said.
Breakfast’s Zoe Kounadis & Tom Mann speak with Anthony Forsyth, Professor of Workplace Law at RMIT University to discuss the implications of the ruling.
Produced by Zoe Kounadis
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
