The High Court has backed a decision by the government to refuse a temporary visa to American commentator Candace Owens Farmer, who had planned a speaking tour to Australia in 2024.

Owens’s lawyers argued the decision placed an “impermissible burden” on the implied right to freedom of political communication, and Immigration Minister Tony Burke had incorrectly interpreted the law.

The High Court found the law was valid and applied in circumstances where the person in question would encourage dissension or strife, risking harm to the Australian community.