‘Bring it on’: Pauline Hanson to appeal Mehreen Faruqi racial discrimination ruling in high court
Summary
Australia’s High Court has agreed to hear One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s appeal of rulings that her 2022 post about Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi breached the Racial Discrimination Act. The court will consider whether the post violated the law or whether the ruling restricted Hanson’s implied freedom of political speech.Key Facts
- The High Court granted Hanson special leave to appeal on Thursday.
- In 2024, Federal Court Justice Angus Stewart ruled that Hanson’s post unlawfully discriminated against Faruqi.
- A three-judge Federal Court panel unanimously upheld the ruling in July 2026.
- The dispute began after Faruqi posted about Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022 and called for a treaty with First Nations people, justice and reparations, and Australia to become a republic.
- Hanson replied that Faruqi should “pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan.”
- Justice Stewart said the remark echoed the racist phrase “go back to where you came from” and portrayed Faruqi as a second-class citizen.
- Faruqi said she welcomed the appeal and that people targeted by racism should be protected.
- The federal attorney general’s spokesperson said section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act was important to Australia’s social cohesion and declined to comment further on the case.
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