‘Bring it on’: Pauline Hanson to appeal Mehreen Faruqi racial discrimination ruling in high court
News Source
•Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:03:08 GMT
📰 What Happened
Pauline Hanson says she will take her racial discrimination case with Senator Mehreen Faruqi to the High Court, declaring 'bring it on'. The One Nation leader lost part of the case in the Federal Court, which found a social media post aimed at Faruqi breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. The court still dismissed the claim, and Faruqi appealed. Hanson now wants the highest court to settle the law.
🔍 The Backstory
In 2022 Hanson posted that Faruqi should 'piss off back to Pakistan' after the Greens senator criticised the British monarchy. Faruqi, who was born in Pakistan, sued under section 18C, which makes it unlawful to insult or offend someone because of their race. Hanson argued the comment was fair comment on a public issue. Federal Court judges accepted part of that defence, which is why the claim failed.
🎯 Why It Matters
The High Court could set new rules on what politicians are allowed to say about race online, in a case that began with one social media post.
Pauline Hanson says she will take her racial discrimination case with Senator Mehreen Faruqi to the High Court, declaring 'bring it on'. The One Nation leader lost part of the case in the Federal Court, which found a social media post aimed at Faruqi breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. The court still dismissed the claim, and Faruqi appealed. Hanson now wants the highest court to settle the law.
In 2022 Hanson posted that Faruqi should 'piss off back to Pakistan' after the Greens senator criticised the British monarchy. Faruqi, who was born in Pakistan, sued under section 18C, which makes it unlawful to insult or offend someone because of their race. Hanson argued the comment was fair comment on a public issue. Federal Court judges accepted part of that defence, which is why the claim failed.
The High Court could set new rules on what politicians are allowed to say about race online, in a case that began with one social media post.