<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Former federal </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/labor" rel="" target="" title="Labor"><span>Labor</span></a><span> leader Mark Latham has been ordered to pay a fellow state MP the maximum available penalty for vilifying him for his sexuality.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 65-year-old will be forced to pay </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mark-latham-appeal-hinges-on-political-and-personal-divide/8070a05c-7ded-4bf5-8626-6f707ce84da9" rel="" target="" title="Alex Greenwich"><span>Alex Greenwich</span></a><span> $100,000 after a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/twitter" rel="" target="" title="tweet"><span>tweet</span></a><span> directed at him was found to be unlawful </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/sexual-misconduct" rel="" target="" title="sexual harassment"><span>sexual harassment</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The sexually explicit tweet from the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/new-south-wales" rel="" target="" title="NSW"><span>NSW</span></a><span> upper house independent in 2023 has previously been ruled to be defamatory by the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="" title="Federal Court"><span>Federal Court</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-politics-live-iran-israel-middle-east-war-king-charles-state-visit-pete-hegseth-nuclear-claims/2440cfff-6a9d-4ea5-897c-b69111c07a43" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump praises King while continuing complaints about British PM Keir Starmer</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Latham's tweet came in response to a post quoting Greenwich describing him as a "disgusting human being".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The online sparring match between the two politicians followed violent </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/protests" rel="" target="" title="protests"><span>protests</span></a><span> outside a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/church/2" rel="" target="" title="church"><span>church</span></a><span> in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/sydney" rel="" target="" title="Sydney's"><span>Sydney's</span></a><span> southwest, where Latham was giving a pre-election speech in March 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal imposed the maximum penalty due to the extreme abuse Greenwich received and the intense impacts he felt.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/latham-ordered-to-pay-100k-for-offensive-tweet-to-mp/26e24e59-13da-4e4d-bf2d-24143d8e2350" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It found that Greenwich had suffered extreme psychological damage as a result of Latham's actions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The tribunal did not order Latham to produce an apology, saying it would be pointless given it would likely not be genuine.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/antisemitism-royal-commission-interim-report-findings-bondi-beach-shooting-social-cohesion-australia/2911e464-b083-4a7a-a5a9-435f2facc0ee" target="_blank"><strong><span>First report into antisemitism royal commission recommends national gun buyback scheme, more counter-terrorism powers</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Greenwich welcomed the decision and said the result was a landmark ruling for LGBTQIA+ rights in the state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This decision sends a clear message: public figures are not above the law, and online platforms are not a space for unlawful vilification," the member for Sydney said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The tribunal has made clear that the law does not require anyone to endure unlawful vilification or sexual harassment."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Latham was ordered to remove any material from his social media that vilifies Greenwich based on his homosexuality and to refrain from making any more unlawful vilifying statements.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He is also ordered to pay Greenwich's </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/law" rel="" target="" title="legal costs"><span>legal costs</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 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