A Supreme Court Justice has dismissed a bid by a regional New South Wales paramedic to be exempted from receiving COVID-19 vaccines.
John Edward Larter, from Tumut, launched a case against Health Minister Brad Hazzard in the court earlier this year, seeking an order than part of the state's COVID public health orders be declared invalid.
Mr Larter, who has worked as paramedic for 25 years and is also the Deputy Mayor of the Snowy Valleys Council, also sought an exemption from vaccination on religious grounds.
In a two-day hearing held earlier this month, the Supreme Court heard that Mr Larter found the vaccine mandate "morally repugnant".
In handing down her findings Justice Christine Adamson said the public health order in its original form was reasonable, saying it was to remove the increased risk of transmission posed by unvaccinated NSW Health workers.
"It would be of no comfort to the vulnerable patient who is infected by the unvaccinated health care worker to be told that he or she was unlucky by being in the wrong ward at the wrong time, because most health care workers had been vaccinated," she said.
Justice Adamson concluded that the "reasons and thought processes" given in evidence by NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant "provided a comprehensive explanation of the rationale of the orders".
In relation to Mr Larter's exemption claim due to religion, Justice Adamson said "the plaintiff would be in the same position if his objection to the virus arose from veganism, Buddhism, Catholicism or idiosyncratic beliefs".
Justice Adamson has reserved costs relating to the hearing.
