Overview

• Justice Darryl Rangiah ruled that the ABC breached the Fair Work Act by firing Lattouf over her political opinions on Gaza after she shared a Human Rights Watch post and ordered the broadcaster to pay her $70,000 for non-economic loss.
• A separate hearing will determine any pecuniary penalties for the ABC’s contravention of workplace law.
• The court found the sacking followed coordinated complaints from pro-Israel lobbyists and that Lattouf was only given informal advice rather than a formal direction to avoid posting controversial content.
• ABC managing director Hugh Marks described the more than $1.1 million spent defending the case as regrettable and said the corporation will replace its social media guidelines.
• Legal experts predict the case will spur further disputes over employees’ political expression and highlight the need for clear workplace policies on social media use.