The New South Wales government spent $7.3 million on legal fees defending its protest laws in the 2025-26 financial year, with more than a third of that sum going to a single law firm, according to documents obtained by the Guardian Australia.
Legal Costs Breakdown
The figures, released under freedom of information laws, show that $2.6 million was paid to HWL Ebsworth, the firm that represented the state in a High Court challenge to the laws. The remaining $4.7 million was split among six other law firms and barristers.
The protest laws, introduced in 2022, impose strict conditions on public demonstrations, including mandatory police approval and a ban on blocking roads or railways. They have been widely criticised by civil liberties groups.
High Court Challenge
The laws were challenged in the High Court by a coalition of environmental and social justice groups, who argued they infringed on the implied constitutional right to political communication. The challenge was dismissed in March 2026.
"The government has a responsibility to ensure public safety while respecting the right to protest," said a spokesperson for the NSW Attorney-General. "These legal costs were necessary to defend laws that have been upheld by the highest court in the land."
Opposition Criticism
Opposition spokesperson for justice, John Smith, said the spending was "exorbitant" and questioned whether the money could have been better spent on frontline services. "Seven million dollars is a massive amount to spend on legal fees, especially when the government could have simply drafted better laws in the first place," he said.
The revelation comes as the government faces ongoing protests against its handling of housing and environmental issues.
