An Australian Federal Court has upheld a racial discrimination ruling against Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, in a case brought by Senator Mehreen Faruqi. Justice Melissa Perry dismissed Hanson’s appeal of a 2024 decision that found she had breached the racial discrimination act.
The dispute originated from a social media post Hanson made in September 2022, following Queen Elizabeth II’s death. After Faruqi posted condolences while expressing criticism of the British monarchy’s colonial legacy, Hanson responded with a post that Judge Angus Stewart characterized as “a variant of the slogan, ‘go back to where you came from.'” The judge determined this phrase constituted a racist trope with historical significance and implicitly targeted Muslims.
The lower court in 2024 ruled that Hanson’s post was reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate based on race, color, or national or ethnic origin. The court ordered Hanson to remove the tweet and cover Faruqi’s legal expenses. Faruqi, who serves as deputy leader of the Greens party, argued the post violated Australia’s racial discrimination legislation.
Hanson contested the initial ruling on grounds that political communication deserves legal protection, but the Federal Court rejected this argument. Faruqi stated outside court that the case represented accountability for racism and emphasized that hate speech does not constitute protected speech.
Hanson indicated disappointment with the decision and stated she would consult with her legal team regarding a potential appeal to Australia’s High Court. In recent months, Hanson has faced scrutiny for various statements, including previous advocacy for immigration restrictions targeting Muslims and recent remarks questioning whether “good” Muslims exist. Earlier this month, she appeared in a podcast where she discussed Australia’s immigration policies in relation to the historical White Australia policy, which restricted non-white immigration until the 1970s.
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