The neo-Nazi group White Australia has failed to secure temporary protection from anti-hate laws passed after the Bondi terrorist attack. The organization argued that the new rules would effectively lead to its “extinction.”
White Australia, which is seeking to register as a political party, asked the High Court to temporarily block its inclusion on the list of prohibited hate groups.
But on Thursday, High Court Chief Justice Stephen Gageler rejected the organization’s application for an injunction.
White Australia is also challenging the constitutionality of broader anti-hate laws passed after the mass shooting at Bondi Beach. A two-day hearing in the case is scheduled for September.
At Thursday’s hearing, White Australia’s lawyer, Peter King, said the organization’s designation as a prohibited hate group would lead to its permanent closure.
“Unless restrained, there will be an extinction of the organization,” he told the High Court.
Australia’s home affairs minister, Tony Burke, declared the neo-Nazi organization a prohibited hate group in May after receiving advice from the intelligence agency ASIO.
White Australia’s predecessor, the National Socialist Network, said it was disbanding after the anti-hate laws were introduced.
In reality, Burke said, the group had “phoenix-ed” under a new name: it changed its name to White Australia and continued operating with almost the same membership.
Under the government’s decision, supporting, funding or joining the group is a criminal offence.