Attempted Exclusion of Egon Kisch From Australia - The High Court Rules

The High Court Rules

Egon Kisch's legal team was headed by Christian Jollie Smith, who secured a writ of habeas corpus for Kisch and briefed Albert Piddington and Maurice Blackburn, who took his case to the full bench of the High Court, which on 19 December 1934 ruled that he be free to visit Australia. Kisch's legal team were able to demonstrate that Constable Mackay, who had administered the test, although born in Scotland, was not actually able to understand the Lord's Prayer in Scottish Gaelic himself. Crucially, the Court ruled that the dictation test had been invalid in any case, in that Scottish Gaelic was not "an European language" within the meaning of the Immigration Restriction Act. Kisch was now free to visit and speak in Australia. Or so it seemed.

Read more about this topic:  Attempted Exclusion Of Egon Kisch From Australia

Famous quotes containing the words high, court and/or rules:

    “The most useful man in the most useful world, so long as only commodity was served, would remain unsatisfied. But, as fast as he sees beauty, life acquires a very high value.”
    —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    ““But such as you and I do not seem old
    Like men who live by habit. Every day
    I ride with falcon to the river’s edge
    Or carry the ringed mail upon my back,
    Or court a woman; neither enemy,
    Game-bird, nor woman does the same thing twice....””
    —William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

    “The five kings count the dead but do not soften
    The crusted wound nor stroke the brow;
    A hand rules pity as a hand rules heaven;
    Hands have no tears to flow.”
    —Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)