The long running battle between Alan Jones, 2GB and Muslim spokesperson Keysar Trad seems to have finally come to a head. On 19 December 2014, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal handed down their decision and ordered that Mr Jones and Harbour Radio Pty Ltd were to pay Mr Trad damages in the sum of $10,000 and some of Mr Trad’s costs.

The matter concerned a reading by Mr Jones of a letter sent in to his show which referred to Lebanese males and stated, among other things, the following:

They simply rape, pillage and plunder a nation that’s taken them in…what did we do as a nation to have this vermin infect us like this.

The issue that was before the Tribunal was whether Mr Jones and 2GB breached section 20C(1) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 which states:

It is unlawful for a person, by a public act, to incite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of, a person or group of persons on the ground of the race of the person or members of the group.

The tribunal held that both Mr Jones and 2GB breached the racial vilification provisions of the Act.

The full decision can be accessed here.

For more information please contact Jonathan Hidayat.