Claims circulating on social media about Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese facing a legal battle at an international court have been firmly rejected by legal experts and political representatives. These assertions stem from false allegations that former opposition leader Peter Dutton accused Albanese of buying votes to secure his victory in the May 2025 federal elections, in which the Australian Labor Party won an outright majority.
The misleading information appeared in posts on Facebook, featuring text that alleged Dutton had taken his claims to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The posts suggested that Dutton accused Albanese of paying parliamentarians for their votes and making unfulfillable promises to achieve a “landslide victory.” They also claimed that Albanese’s response on social media platform X escalated the situation significantly.
These claims are unfounded. A spokesperson for the Liberal Party, Dutton’s political party, confirmed to AFP in an email dated December 6, 2025, that the assertions are “obviously false.” Furthermore, experts on international law clarifying the limitations of the ICJ and ICC emphasized that no jurisdiction exists for such a dispute.
Legal Experts Weigh In
According to Richard Garnett, an expert in international legal arbitration at the University of Melbourne Law School, the ICJ only handles cases between states, not individuals. “For example, if Australia and France had a dispute, that could be heard in the International Court of Justice, but they don’t deal with cases involving individuals,” Garnett stated on December 5, 2025.
Similarly, Natalie Klein, an associate dean at the University of New South Wales Sydney’s Faculty of Law & Justice, reinforced that Dutton could not possibly file a claim at the ICJ. The ICJ’s information department confirmed in an email that individuals are not permitted to be parties in cases before the court.
“It’s more than disinformation. It’s completely absurd, complete nonsense,” Garnett remarked. He also noted that the ICC, which handles war crimes and crimes against humanity, would have no jurisdiction over allegations of vote-buying.
Fact-Checking the False Claims
The claims were also scrutinized by AAP Factcheck, which previously debunked similar allegations aimed at Prime Minister Albanese. In a follow-up email dated December 10, 2025, the ICC confirmed to AFP that “no such case exists before the International Criminal Court.”
The dissemination of these false claims highlights the ongoing challenges posed by misinformation in political discourse. As the debate continues around the integrity of electoral processes, it is crucial for accurate information to prevail, especially in the context of significant political events such as the May 2025 federal elections.
As the situation unfolds, vigilance against misinformation remains a priority for both legal experts and political representatives in Australia.
