Journalist Antoinette Lattouf is still awaiting a personal apology from the ABC following a court ruling that her dismissal was unlawful. The Federal Court in Sydney found that her termination was influenced by her political views, particularly her opposition to the Israeli military actions in Gaza.

On Wednesday, Lattouf's legal team returned to court to advocate for a financial penalty between $300,000 and $350,000 for violations of the Fair Work Act. In contrast, the ABC's legal representatives argued for a significantly lower penalty, suggesting amounts between $37,500 and $56,000.

Outside the courtroom, Lattouf expressed her disappointment. "The ABC are meant to be the good guys in the media, and I am a big believer and a big supporter of a fair and robust ABC," she stated. "I haven't had a personal apology, a personal public apology, and all I want is for an ABC that is fair and that acts with integrity."

The court previously determined that Lattouf's employment was unlawfully terminated after she shared a post on her personal Instagram account. The post referenced a Human Rights Watch report that claimed starvation was being used as a weapon in Gaza. Justice Daryl Rangiah ruled that Lattouf's dismissal was influenced by a coordinated campaign of complaints from pro-Israel lobbyists, leading to a decision made to appease those groups.

In June, Justice Rangiah ordered the ABC to compensate Lattouf at least $70,000 for non-economic losses. Her contract with ABC Radio Sydney was abruptly cut short after just three days on air in December 2023.

During the court proceedings, ABC's Chief People Officer, Deena Amorelli, was questioned about the broadcaster's response to the court's findings. Managing Director Hugh Marks had previously stated that the ABC regretted how Lattouf's removal was handled and the distress it caused her. However, when asked if Marks had reached out to Lattouf directly, Amorelli replied, "Not to my knowledge."

Lattouf's attorney, Oshie Fagir, pressed Amorelli on whether the ABC's expressions of regret were sufficient. Amorelli maintained that the public statement served as an apology to Lattouf. The court also heard that the ABC has not identified who leaked information about Lattouf's dismissal to the media.

Fagir highlighted that the ABC's proposed penalty represented a mere 0.00375 percent of its annual budget of approximately $1 billion, calling it an "infinitesimally small amount" in light of the organization's financial standing. Amorelli confirmed that she had conducted training sessions for senior leadership following the judgment and that the ABC had sought independent legal advice regarding the case.

Despite acknowledging the impact of the court's ruling, Amorelli stated that the ABC had not conducted an independent investigation into the reasons behind the breach of law. When asked if the ABC understood why the email campaign led to Lattouf's unlawful dismissal, Amorelli replied, "No." She also dismissed claims that the ABC's expressions of regret were merely performative.