Andrew Bolt found liable to offensive behaviour based on racial hatred

The Federal Court has today held that Herald Sun Columnist Andrew Bolt  breached s18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) in Eatock v Bolt [2011] FCA 1103.

Justice Bromberg found that Mr Bolt's columns and blogs criticising Aboriginals with fair skin who had won government grants because of their indigenous heritage as deeply offensive.  

s18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 prohibits offensive behaviour because of race colour or national or ethnic origin and is considered less serious than racial vilification, which is prohibited under state acts such as Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) and Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic).

Racial vilification is defined as conduct which incites hatred against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule of a person because of their race and was deliberately not pleaded by the Indigenous Australians in this instance.

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