Federal Court Rejects Pauline Hanson Appeal Over Racial Vilification

The Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia unanimously dismissed an appeal by Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, upholding a prior ruling that she racially discriminated against Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi. The case centered on a September 2022 post on X, formerly Twitter, in which Hanson told Faruqi to "pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan" following Faruqi's comments about the British Empire after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The court affirmed a previous finding by Justice Angus Stewart that the remark was a "strong form of racism" and a "racist trope" that breached the Racial Discrimination Act. The three-judge panel rejected Hanson's arguments that her comments were protected political communication or that the law was constitutionally invalid, stating that restricting intimidating language can actually enhance the free flow of ideas.

Senator Faruqi, the first Muslim woman in an Australian parliament, hailed the verdict as a victory for those told their belonging in the country is conditional. Hanson expressed disappointment, claiming that laws protecting against offense have "silenced" public discussion in Australia. While the court has reserved its decision on legal costs, which could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, Hanson indicated she is reviewing the decision with her legal team to potentially lodge a final appeal with the High Court of Australia.