Overview
- On Wednesday the Federal Court dismissed Mark Latham’s appeal and Alex Greenwich’s cross-appeal, leaving the 2024 judgment that Latham must pay $140,000 in damages in place.
- A separate NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal finding from April remains active, with NCAT having ordered Latham to pay a further $100,000 after ruling the same tweet sexually vilified and harassed Greenwich.
- The contested post, published during campaigning in March 2023, was an explicit, now-deleted tweet the Federal Court found conveyed that Greenwich 'engaged in disgusting sexual activities' and triggered a large volume of homophobic abuse directed at his office.
- Media reporting estimates that legal bills could push Latham’s total liability above $500,000, and the Federal Court has directed the parties to confer on costs and return to court on June 17.
- The case shows how state tribunals and federal courts can produce cumulative legal and financial consequences for politicians who use aggressive social-media language, and Greenwich says the rulings end years of targeted abuse.