Australian political commentator and politician Mark Latham has reached a settlement with former Junkee Media news and political editor Osman Faruqi.
A settlement has been reached in the defamation case, which began earlier this year after it was alleged that Latham had made offensive comments about Faruqi in a video posted on his Outsiders webpage, YouTube and a post on Facebook.
Latham was forced to remove the offensive statements made about Faruqi and forced to pay him damages plus legal costs. The total sum of the damages could exceed $100,000.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers’ Josh Bornstein, who acted for Faruqi, welcomed the resolution of the matter.
“Mr Latham had suggested that Mr Faruqi had made numerous attempts to vilify white people, a suggestion ridiculed earlier this year by the Federal Court when it struck out Mr Latham’s first Defence,” he said.
“Speech that causes harm has been regulated in different ways for centuries. Defamatory speech is one of many areas in which the law intervenes and regulates. We are pleased that Mr Latham has now removed these comments as they were harmful and untrue."
Legal costs will be significant given the extraordinarily lengthy and unusual first Defence filed by Mr Latham in the case. Legal costs will be assessed by the Court at a later stage.
“This case has always been about reaffirming the principle that all Australians should be able to participate in public debate without being denigrated and accused of supporting heinous crimes like terrorism because of their background,” Faruqi said.
“It’s unfortunate that the case had to proceed this far. It’s taken over a year, but this is exactly the result my team and I were hoping for when we initiated this action – the comments to be removed and a payment of damages and costs."
Latham's decision to settle could have wider ramifications for political commentators on news and current affairs programmes, who use TV as a platform to make devise and slanderous commentary.
This year, Sky News', which Latham formerly worked for as the host of Outsiders, has found itself in hot water on a number of occasions.
Cases include Greens party South Australia senator Sarah Hanson-Young pursuing legal action following remarks made by Liberal senator David Leyonhjelm on the network, as well as advertiser backlash following the decision to air an interview with right-wing nationalist Blair Cottrell.
Faruqi resigned from Junkee Media after nearly two years with the youth-focused publisher in April.
In April 2017, following his departure from Sky News, Latham launched a website called Mark Latham's Outsiders which hosts a weekly Facebook Live program.
A former opposition leader for Labor and current member of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, Latham has appeared on a variety of political panel programmes, becoming notorious for controversial and inappropriate comments.
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