Antoinette Lattouf live: Closing submissions to be heard in unlawful termination case against ABC

This is what we’re expecting the day to look like (although there is a chance this may extend into tomorrow):

• Closing arguments from Ms Lattouf’s legal team.
• Rebuttals from the ABC’s legal team.
• Lattouf’s legal team’s right of reply. 

During the hearing, a number of key ABC management figures have taken the stand, including outgoing managing director David Anderson, former chair Ita Buttrose and outgoing chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor.

We’ve heard Antoinette Lattouf’s lawyers argue that private messages between senior ABC executives demonstrated that the decision to take the presenter off air was influenced by “pro-Israel” lobbying.

We’ve also heard from both Ms Lattouf and her direct management that challenged the ABC’s claim there was a clear direction over the presenter’s use of social media.

Elizabeth Green, Ms Lattouf’s former manager, agreed with the presenter’s evidence that the pair decided information from a “reputable organisation” or a “verified source” would be okay.

We’ve also heard the ABC withdraw its opening arguments regarding the existence of a Lebanese race, Mr Anderson saying there was a “step missing” in the decision to take Ms Lattouf off air, and that the presenter allegedly received death threats after she was dismissed.

Ms Lattouf’s lawyers are arguing she was unlawfully terminated because of her political opinions and/or her racial identity.

They’ve also argued that senior ABC management caved to the pressure mounted by a campaign against Ms Lattouf, and that she wasn’t given due process to respond to the allegation of misconduct related to that social media post.

Antoinette Lattouf arrived at the Federal Court, flanked by her lawyers and her husband.

Barrister Philip Boncardo and employment lawyer Josh Bornstein arrived with her.

Her team will open the day’s proceedings with their closing submissions.

The ABC’s legal team have arrived at the Federal Court ahead of the hearing.

Barrister Ian Neil SC has been leading the broadcaster’s defence, supported by Vanja Bulut and other instructing solicitors.

To cut a very long story short, in December 2023, Antoinette Lattouf was taken off air midway through a five-day contract role presenting for ABC Radio Sydney.

She was told at the time the reason was centered around a Human Rights Watch post over the Israel-Gaza war she reshared on social media.

The ABC has long claimed that Ms Lattouf was not unlawfully terminated, but instead was taken off air after failing to follow a directive about her social media usage.

But, in February 2024, Ms Lattouf, filed two legal cases to the Federal Court over the ABC’s decision, with the Fair Work Commission ruling in June that Ms Lattouf was sacked.

That same month, mediation between the ABC and Ms Lattouf failed.

Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of today’s hearing of Antoinette Lattouf’s unlawful termination case against the ABC.

The case is nearing its conclusion, with Ms Lattouf’s legal team delivering their closing arguments today.