No, Australia did not grant immunity to UN personnel to forcefully vaccinate citizens
No, Australia did not grant immunity to UN personnel to forcefully vaccinate citizens
(Web Desk) - Australian law protects emergency services and members of the country’s military when they are responding to natural disasters like wildfires but does not let soldiers or UN workers coerce anyone to be vaccinated, as suggested in social media posts sharing false headlines.
“Australian Gov’t Grants WHO ‘Complete Immunity’ To Force Jab Citizens on Australian Soil,” and “UN personnel have complete immunity if they come knocking on your door with a syringe or AK47,” were posted on social media in August.
The first headline appeared in an Aug 16 article published on The People’s Voice website, which Reuters has previously fact-checked. The article states that Australia amended its 1995 Criminal Code Act on Aug 1 to grant complete immunity to UN and World Health Organization (WHO) personnel to perform “defence” and “medical procedures” on citizens with or without consent.
The second headline was published by Cairns News on the same day and also cites the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The People’s Voice article includes a screenshot showing Chapter 4, Division 71 of the 1995 criminal code, titled, “Offences against United Nations and associated personnel,” and also cites separate 2020 legislation to suggest foreign troops have immunity on Australian soil.
CRIME TO ASSAULT UN WORKERS
However, the criminal code was not amended on Aug 1 to upgrade immunity offered to foreign personnel. The version of the act registered on Aug 1 makes it a crime to sexually assault UN personnel, but also adds protections for people who perform medical procedures on UN personnel, according to a spokesperson for Australia’s Attorney-General’s Department.
The claims made online are incorrect, the spokesperson said via email, adding that Division 71 creates specific offenses for harms against UN personnel and “does not provide special rights, privileges, protection from criminal liability or any other immunity for UN personnel.”
While Section 71.8 creates an offense for unlawful sexual penetration of a UN or associated person and Section 71.15 provides a limited defense to this offense, for medical or hygienic procedures undertaken in good faith, the spokesperson said, “This defence may be relied upon by a person who performed a medical procedure on a UN or associated person. It does not apply to actions taken by UN personnel.”
MILITARY FIRST RESPONDERS
The Defence Legislation (Enhancement of Defence Force Response to Emergencies) Act 2020 covers Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel responding to natural disaster or emergencies. It provides immunities comparable to those available to emergency services workers in State and Territory legislation to ADF and not to foreign personnel.
The act was passed after Australia’s intense 2019-2020 bushfire season. On Jan 4, 2020, the federal government deployed army reservists to support firefighters and help communities hit by wildfires by delivering supplies, evacuating people in need and assisting in reopening roads and preparing fire breaks to contain the blazes.
