This class action was brought by the lead Plaintiff, Raya Meredith, on behalf of people unlawfully strip searched at music festivals in New South Wales between July 2016 and July 2022.

The Plaintiff commenced proceedings for the intentional torts of battery, assault and false imprisonment. In addition, aggravated damages were sought in relation to the humiliation experienced by the Plaintiff and she was awarded $93,000.

The Court found that the strip search of Meredith was unlawful and that there had been “a flagrant disregard for the rights of the plaintiff” which resulted in “significant harm” to the plaintiff’s privacy, liberty and dignity. The finding strongly suggests that thousands of similar searches conducted between 2016 and 2022 were also illegal.