Notorious criminal figure George Marrogi has successfully contested the conditions of his incarceration, with a judge ruling that he was unjustly denied time in the open air.

The ruling referenced a law mandating that all inmates must be allowed at least one hour of outdoor access daily.

Marrogi’s legal team contended that this requirement was not met during his detention at Melbourne Remand Centre and Barwon Prison from May 2023 to September of the previous year.

On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Claire Harris sided with Marrogi, determining that the exercise yards at the remand centre’s Exford Units and Barwon’s Olearia, Melaleuca, and Acacia lacked sufficient open-air conditions.

“The yard felt confined, offering minimal space for movement, with the only outdoor view being the sky, visible through the mesh covering the cell’s roof,” the judge stated in her written decision.

Justice Harris accepted prisoners did have access to open air in the Olearia and Acacia units’ exercise yards.

After going in person to view the units, she noted she could see the sky in those spaces and it was possible to feel a breeze.

“I felt the warmth of the sun coming into the yard, which was visible in the brightness and shadows it cast, and felt breezes,” the judgment read.

“I could hear sounds of birds and other sounds associated with being outside, such as airplanes and the sound of wind.”

In contrast, the rear yards at Barwon and the Melbourne Remand Centre were small and felt enclosed with layered wire mesh ceilings, the judge said.

“There was no sense of being outside or in an open space,” the judgment read.

Justice Harris also found that there were dozens of occasions between May 2023 and June 2025 where Marrogi’s right to dress in private after a strip search was breached.

The parties will return to court to discuss next steps at a later date.