Police can use force to move body parts during strip-searches, NSW argues in appeal court
The New South Wales government is appealing a court ruling that limited police powers during strip-searches at music festivals. The state argues that officers should have the authority to use force to move body parts during these searches.
Why it matters
This case addresses the tension between police investigative powers and individual civil liberties and bodily autonomy.
A crowd at Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay in 2018. NSW police lost a class action over unlawful strip-searches between then and 2022. Photograph: Zak Kaczmarek/WireImage View image in fullscreen A crowd at Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay in 2018. NSW police lost a class action over unlawful strip-searches between then and 2022. Photograph: Zak Kaczmarek/WireImage Australian police and policing Police can use force to move body parts during strip-searches, NSW argues in appeal court NSW police appeal after comprehensive class action loss in 2025 when force admitted music festival search of Raya Meredith was unlawful and unjustified
The report balances the state's legal argument with the context of the class action loss.
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