The Legal Light Justin Stack Stricter anti-Nazi laws start to bite Stricter laws making it a criminal offence to display Nazi symbols in public are starting to bite, with the first person jailed for giving the Hitler salute. The man, a leading member of a neo-Nazi group, gave the raised right arm salute in 2023 and cried "Heil Hitler" in front of media outside a Melbourne court, just six days after Victorian laws banning the gesture came into effect. In 2024 he was sentenced to a month in jail for the salute. He appealed and was on bail until Decem- ber 2025, when a court rejected his appeal and ordered he serve his sentence of one month in jail. Criminal lawyer Ashleigh Flanagan at Stacks Law Firm said the Victorian court heard there had been 18 cases in Australia of people charged for giving illegal Nazi salutes, but none had received jail sentences. "Since then there has been a string of charges and court appearances of people charged with giving the Nazi salute and displaying Nazi images in public," Ms Flanagan said. "In January a man was charged over his Nazi tattoos, seen while he was on a beach. A man was refused bail in January after being charged for having swastika stickers on his boat. A Melbourne airport worker was charged in February for giving the Nazi salute to a group of Jewish schoolchildren. "A NSW man was charged in January over a Nazi symbol painted on his garbage bin. In Canberra an 18-year-old man was charged at Christmas for giving the Hitler salute at shops. "A protestor was found guilty of displaying Nazi symbols in public at an anti-Israel rally, for a poster superimposing a swastika on the Israeli flag, with the words 'the irony of becoming what you once hated"." Ms Flanagan said some charges may be legally questionable. Were the tattoos created before the law came into force? Did those charged know that the swastika was banned? Do they have Nazi sympathies? Most of these offenders were charged under a law introduced in 2022, which made it a crime with a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail to display Nazi symbols and salutes in public without a reasonable excuse, such as an academic, artistic or educational purpose. But after neo-Nazis appeared at rallies with Nazi symbols, the law was strengthened, with the NSW Crimes Amendment (Inciting Racial Hatred) Act 2025 increasing the penalty to two years in jail. Legislation has been introduced to NSW parliament to add Nazi and antisemitic chants, songs and slogans to the banned list. STACKS LAW FIRM Tim Stack Commercial Lawyer 02 6592 6592 taree.stacklaw.com.au Partners in life The Legal Light Justin Stack Stricter anti - Nazi laws start to bite Stricter laws making it a criminal offence to display Nazi symbols in public are starting to bite , with the first person jailed for giving the Hitler salute . The man , a leading member of a neo - Nazi group , gave the raised right arm salute in 2023 and cried " Heil Hitler " in front of media outside a Melbourne court , just six days after Victorian laws banning the gesture came into effect . In 2024 he was sentenced to a month in jail for the salute . He appealed and was on bail until Decem- ber 2025 , when a court rejected his appeal and ordered he serve his sentence of one month in jail . Criminal lawyer Ashleigh Flanagan at Stacks Law Firm said the Victorian court heard there had been 18 cases in Australia of people charged for giving illegal Nazi salutes , but none had received jail sentences . " Since then there has been a string of charges and court appearances of people charged with giving the Nazi salute and displaying Nazi images in public , " Ms Flanagan said . " In January a man was charged over his Nazi tattoos , seen while he was on a beach . A man was refused bail in January after being charged for having swastika stickers on his boat . A Melbourne airport worker was charged in February for giving the Nazi salute to a group of Jewish schoolchildren . " A NSW man was charged in January over a Nazi symbol painted on his garbage bin . In Canberra an 18 - year - old man was charged at Christmas for giving the Hitler salute at shops . " A protestor was found guilty of displaying Nazi symbols in public at an anti - Israel rally , for a poster superimposing a swastika on the Israeli flag , with the words ' the irony of becoming what you once hated " . " Ms Flanagan said some charges may be legally questionable . Were the tattoos created before the law came into force ? Did those charged know that the swastika was banned ? Do they have Nazi sympathies ? Most of these offenders were charged under a law introduced in 2022 , which made it a crime with a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail to display Nazi symbols and salutes in public without a reasonable excuse , such as an academic , artistic or educational purpose . But after neo - Nazis appeared at rallies with Nazi symbols , the law was strengthened , with the NSW Crimes Amendment ( Inciting Racial Hatred ) Act 2025 increasing the penalty to two years in jail . Legislation has been introduced to NSW parliament to add Nazi and antisemitic chants , songs and slogans to the banned list . STACKS LAW FIRM Tim Stack Commercial Lawyer 02 6592 6592 taree.stacklaw.com.au Partners in life