Court imposes A$150,000 penalty on ABC for sacking Journo over Gaza post
The Federal Court of Australia has asked the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to pay A$150,000 to a journalist whom it had sacked over social media post highlighting Israeli crimes
Sydney: The Federal Court of Australia has asked the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to pay A$150,000 to a journalist whom it had sacked over social media post highlighting Israeli crimes.
Antoinette Lattouf, a senior journalist and presenter, was removed by the ABC in December 2023 from her position as a host on a popular radio show for sharing a social media post highlighting the Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinians in Gaza.
In a suit filed against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in January 2024, Antoinette Lattouf sought a public apology, compensation and a return to her on-air role.
In her defence, Antoinette Lattouf also said the same post was shared by others working with ABC. However, she was singled out for action on the basis of her race.
Following the suit, Lattouf was awarded A$70,000 in damages. The broadcaster also publicly apologised to Lattouf, saying it also failed its staff and audiences.
But on Wednesday September 24, 2025, Justice Darryl Rangiah said the "substantial" extra sum was needed to ensure the ABC learned its lesson, according to BBC.
HRW Post on Instagram
Lattouf's post was originally shared on Instagram by Human Rights Watch (HRW). "The Israeli government is using starvation of civilians as a weapon of war in Gaza. This is a war crime", the HRW had wrote tagging a video.
Lattouf's removal had sparked a nationwide outrage. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) too had expressed concern to ABC Chair Ita Buttrose, calling Antoinette Lattouf's removal from her job troubling that their factual material was deemed controversial, potentially impacting Australian journalism.
It was also later revealed that Lattouf's removal was a co-ordinated effort by a group called 'Lawyers for Israel'.
"The ABC let down the Australian public badly when it abjectly surrendered the rights of its employee... to appease a lobby group," Justice Rangiah said on Wednesday.
"The public scrutiny the ABC has faced must surely have brought home to the ABC the unacceptability of its contravening conduct. Nevertheless, I consider that substantial penalties are necessary to ensure that the message is received and heeded", he added.
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