The Novak Djokovic case has less to do with the tennis star himself and more to do with politics and how far a government is prepared to push the rules, indeed the independence of the Court, when the legal system is not working just as it would like. Four things stand out in the government’s campaign to undermine the rule of law: a convenient “minister swap” from Karen Andrews to Alex Hawke, Hawke keeping his decision secret for four days, the government’s fragile pretext that Djokovic might arouse anti-vax sentiment, and a judiciary prepared for a government which would play politics with the Court. Only the most ardent acolytes of the Coalition would agree with Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s claim to hold dear to rules. He might have said “rules are rules … no one is above these rules”, but his is a government prepared to subvert rules at any opportunity for political gain. And it is fair to say that, in this instance, a sacred rule of democracy – that is, the independence of the judiciary from executive government – has come under attack.

Source: Government sabotages rule of law in Djokovic case for political advantage – Michael West Media