December 23, 2003

Chinese spiritual group Falun Dafa has vowed to march in next year's Moomba parade after winning a legal row with Melbourne City Council.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has found the council discriminated against Falun Dafa by banning it from last year's Moomba parade.

The tribunal heard council initially accepted the group's application to march but three weeks later changed its mind.

Vice president Judge Bowman found the council breached the Equal Opportunity Act by excluding the group from Moomba and said it was the council, rather than Falun Dafa that was motivated by politics.

[...]

The group's Michael Pearson Smith says Falun Dafa will seek legal costs.

"We're fairly confident that the council will realise that they've done wrong here and do the right thing," he said.

The hearing has been adjourned till February when both parties will discuss a formal council apology.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1015469.htm