Former senator David Leyonhjelm has been ordered to pay Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young $120,000 over defamatory comments he made suggesting she was a misandrist and a hypocrite.

Key points: Senator Hanson-Young said Mr Leyonhjelm falsely claimed she said "all men are rapists"

Senator Hanson-Young said Mr Leyonhjelm falsely claimed she said "all men are rapists" Justice Richard White has ordered Mr Leyonhjelm pay $120,000

Justice Richard White has ordered Mr Leyonhjelm pay $120,000 Mr Leyonhjelm quit the Senate in February this year

The Federal Court previously heard that at the conclusion of a Senate vote in June 2018, Mr Leyonhjelm told Senator Hanson-Young that she should "stop shagging men".

In a media statement, Mr Leyonhjelm claimed he had made the comment in response to an interjection by Senator Hanson-Young along the lines of "all men are rapists".

However, Justice Richard White found Senator Hanson-Young did not speak those words.

"Instead, it is likely that the respondent 'heard' that which he was predisposed to hear by reason of his pre-existing opinion of the applicant as someone who made 'collectivist' statements," Justice White said.

"This meant that the respondent's defence of justification failed.

"I have found that the respondent's failure to check the accuracy of his belief as to what the applicant had said with the applicant herself and with other senators, meant that his conduct in publishing the imputations was not reasonable.

"I have also accepted that the respondent was actuated by malice in that he published his claim concerning the applicant to a mass audience with the intention of publicly shaming her."

Mr Leyonhjelm was ordered to pay Senator Hanson-Young $120,000. ( ABC News )

Senator Hanson-Young previously told the Federal Court she felt bullied and intimidated when the comments were made in the Senate chamber, and again during media interviews in June and July of 2018.

Justice White said he also accepted that "some of the harm suffered by the applicant was caused by an imputation on which the applicant did not sue".

"The parties referred to this imputation in the trial as the 'promiscuity imputation'," he said.

"I have accepted that aspects of the respondent's conduct warrant an award of aggravated damages."

The matter will return to court in December to discuss who will pay the legal costs.

Senator says the win is for women

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young teared up at a press conference after her victory in court. ( AAP: Lukas Coch )

Senator Hanson-Young said she was "pleased with the court's decision".

"When men do the wrong thing, they should apologise. Most men do. But when they don't they should be called out," she said.

Loading

"It's for every woman and girl who's been told or made to stay silent in the face of harassment and disrespect that I took legal action.

"Today's ruling is a win for them."

Senator Hanson-Young said all she wanted was for Mr Leyonhjelm to apologise and she planned to donate her pay-out to charity.

"The court's decision today has vindicated my decision to stand up and call it out," she said.

"I was awarded substantial damages by the way of vindication, which I will donate to charity."

Leyonhjelm lost bid to have case thrown out

In November last year, Mr Leyonhjelm lost a bid to have the defamation case against him thrown out.

He quit the Senate in February.

During the trial, Senator Hanson-Young's barrister Sue Chrysanthou told the court Mr Leyonhjelm had concocted her client's alleged statement.

Mr Leyonhjelm denied that, but also admitted that he could not remember the exact words Senator Hanson-Young had used and that he left it out of his affidavit because he could not be "categorical in his certainty".

The former senator conceded that his discussions with colleagues after the Senate interaction may have influenced his memory of the words used.

Senator Hanson-Young told the court she felt she was bullied and "set upon".