Queensland Police Service faces class action over COVID-19 vaccine mandate

More than 3,100 law enforcement personnel and staff have joined a class action lawsuit against the Queensland Police Service regarding a COVID-19 vaccination mandate introduced in September 2021. The legal action is being funded by Clive Palmer through his mining company, Mineralogy.

Sibley Lawyers, the firm representing current and former employees, has issued a final call for others to join the action before a Friday deadline. Justin Sibley, director of the firm, noted that with approximately 18,000 employees in the service at the time the mandate was implemented, thousands more may be eligible to participate. The firm alleges that many staff members were vaccinated under duress.

The mandate was introduced by then-police commissioner Katarina Carroll and was intended to last five months. While health authorities maintained the mandates were scientifically justified to ensure community safety, the requirement remains a point of legal contention.