ABC to pay Antoinette Lattouf an extra $150,000 in penalties
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The news: The Federal Court of Australia has ordered the ABC to pay Antoinette Lattouf an extra $150,000 in pecuniary penalties as part of her unlawful termination case.
The numbers: The $150,000 in penalties awarded on Wednesday comes on top of the $70,000 the ABC was ordered to pay in June, bringing total compensation payable by the broadcaster to at least $220,000 before costs.
The context: Justice Darryl Rangiah announced the sum in a hearing in Brisbane on Wednesday morning, about three months after Lattouf won her unlawful termination case against the ABC in the Federal Court. He gave the ABC 28 days to make the payment.
In late June, the court found that Lattouf was dismissed for holding political opinions in opposition to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
Lattouf launched an unlawful termination case in the federal court after the Fair Work Commission in June last year found she was sacked by the ABC when it cut short a five-day casual radio hosting stint in late 2023.
Lattouf’s casual employment was cut short after she posted to social media about a Human Rights Watch report previously covered by the ABC which management was concerned would cast doubt over her impartiality.
Lattouf argued that the decision was motivated by her race and national extraction.
The ABC argued that it did not terminate Lattouf but instead exercised its contractual right not to require her to work the final two shifts agreed.
The source: Federal Court of Australia
