Legal Ruilings Against Mark Latham in Favor of Alex Greenwich
Two separate legal rulings have been issued against former federal Labor leader and New South Wales MP Mark Latham in favor of independent MP Alex Greenwich, stemming from a tweet and related media comments made in 2023.
NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal Ruling
In April 2025, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) ordered Mark Latham to pay Alex Greenwich $100,000, the maximum penalty available, for unlawful vilification and sexual harassment based on Greenwich's homosexuality.
The tribunal found that a tweet by Latham in March 2023, which included crude language describing a presumed sexual act, was capable of inciting hatred, serious contempt, or severe ridicule of Greenwich.
The tribunal accepted that this tweet triggered a barrage of hateful correspondence and comments, causing Greenwich psychological injury, and that it led to a campaign of harassment, including a police arrest.
The tribunal also found that additional comments by Latham constituted homosexual vilification, including:
- A statement to a newspaper implying Greenwich was "going into schools to groom children" and raising "fears of paedophilic behaviour"
- Comments in an online radio interview describing Greenwich's sexual practices
- A sarcastic apology tweet
The tribunal determined that social media and media interviews constitute part of a politician's workplace, therefore finding the comments to be unlawful sexual harassment.
The tribunal ordered Latham to:
- Pay $100,000 in damages
- Delete all social media posts that vilify Greenwich based on his homosexuality within 24 hours
- Refrain from repeating such conduct
- Pay Greenwich's legal costs
The tribunal did not order an apology, stating it would likely not be genuine.
The tribunal rejected Latham's claims that his comments were made reasonably and in good faith for academic, artistic, religious, scientific, or discussion purposes.
Latham has indicated he intends to appeal the NCAT decision.
Federal Court Defamation Ruling
In a separate but related proceeding, the Federal Court of Australia previously found that Latham defamed Greenwich through the same tweet and subsequent comments to the Daily Telegraph.
The original judgement by Justice David O'Callaghan in 2024 ordered Latham to pay $140,000 in damages ($100,000 for non-economic loss and $40,000 in aggravated damages).
On June 17, 2025, Justice Michael Wheelahan dismissed appeals by both Latham and Greenwich, upholding the original defamation judgement. The court directed the parties to confer on costs.
Total Financial Penalties
The combined penalties from both legal proceedings amount to $240,000 paid to Greenwich, plus legal costs.
Statements from Alex Greenwich
Greenwich stated that the decisions send a message that public figures are not above the law and that online platforms are not a space for unlawful vilification.
"Justice prevailed," Greenwich said, describing the outcome as a landmark ruling for LGBTQIA+ rights.
He noted the judgement makes clear there is no place in Australian civil discourse for such conduct. He stated he pursued the matter for himself and for many in the LGBTQIA+ community who experience similar abuse.
Background
The initial tweet was a response to a post quoting Greenwich describing Latham as a "disgusting human being." The online exchange followed violent protests outside a church in Sydney's southwest where Latham was giving a pre-election speech in March 2023.