Judge suggests NSW police had ‘absolutely no evidence’ to justify main strip-search in class action

A Sydney judge expressed concerns about the New South Wales police force’s handling of a strip search at a music festival, noting that the initial justification for the search was later admitted as unlawful. Justice Dina Yehia found the police’s defense, which suggested reasonable grounds based on the plaintiff’s appearance and behavior, lacking credible evidence. The state has argued that most strip searches in 2018-2022 were lawful unless consented to or no alternatives existed. The case was shortened due to a lack of key witnesses, drawing attention to potential bias and insufficient justification for the search.