ABC ordered to pay $150,000 for unlawfully sacking Antoinette Lattouf

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation was fined AUD 150,000 on Wednesday for unlawfully sacking journalist Antoinette Lattouf after three days in a casual role on ABC Radio Sydney's Mornings program in December 2023, a ruling that found the public broadcaster breached employment law by dismissing the journalist for political opinions expressed in an Instagram post about Gaza. The penalty is to be paid within 28 days and is in addition to AUD 70,000 in damages previously awarded to Lattouf. The ABC has spent more than AUD 2 million defending the case.

Lattouf was dismissed three days into a five-day hosting stint after sharing an Instagram post from Human Rights Watch describing Israel as using starvation as a "weapon of war" in Gaza. Her barrister had argued for a AUD 350,000 remedy, saying the broadcaster’s expressions of regret were "performative." The ABC contended the sacking resulted from a single inadvertent mistake and underway complaints from listeners, but the court concluded the decision reflected the journalist's political opinions rather than a workplace-specific misconduct.

Justice Darryl Rangiah noted in June that the ABC breached employment law by dismissing Lattouf for political views, pointing to an orchestrated complaints campaign and the broadcaster's failure to allow a defense before taking action. The judge stressed accountability and the importance of the integrity of information provided by a public broadcaster, especially in politically sensitive contexts.

Lattouf said on X that, for her, the outcome was never about money but about accountability and the integrity of the information presented to the public. She added that the case should serve to restore credibility and trust, underscoring that democracy depends on a robust fourth estate. Since her dismissal, she has teamed with fellow journalist Jan Fran to form ETTE, a media company focused on media literacy and independent reporting.

The ABC had argued the sacking was a single inadvertent mistake and pushed for a remedy within a lower range, describing the penalty as disproportionate to the alleged conduct. The court’s decision signals a broader scrutiny of how public broadcasters handle staff and political content, and it comes at a time of ongoing debate over media accountability, public trust, and the role of journalism in democratic society.