Australian court rejects racial discrimination appeal by Pauline Hanson | Racism News
Court Upholds Ruling Against Pauline Hanson for Racist Comments
Published July 27, 2026
An Australian court has unanimously affirmed a previous ruling finding right-wing leader Pauline Hanson guilty of racial discrimination against a Muslim senator. In a decision announced on Monday, the Full Federal Court of Australia dismissed Hanson’s appeal concerning her 2024 comment directed at Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi.
Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, had been found in violation of racial discrimination laws after she told Faruqi to “pack your bags and p*** off back to Pakistan.” The remark was made in a social media post on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, in response to Faruqi’s criticism of the British monarchy, which she described as a “racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples.”
The three-judge panel stated that none of Hanson’s appeal grounds were valid and reiterated that her comments were unlawful and not protected under free speech defenses.
“Today, justice has prevailed,” Faruqi said in a statement outside the Sydney court. “Today’s win is for every single person out there who has been told to go back to where you came from.”
In response to the court’s ruling, Hanson announced intentions to review the decision with her legal team and explore options for an appeal to Australia’s High Court.
Hanson expressed her discontent with the current climate for public discourse in Australia, suggesting that laws hinder individuals from expressing personal views for fear of offending others. “This has never been, nor ever should be, the Australian way,” she stated on X.
The Full Federal Court supported the earlier judgment, characterizing Hanson’s post as containing an anti-Muslim and Islamophobic message, akin to historically racist slogans urging individuals to “go back to where you came from.” The court also affirmed that the law under which she was prosecuted is constitutionally valid and that Hanson offered no defense justifying fair comment on a public interest matter.
“We have 434 paragraphs dismissing Pauline Hanson’s appeal, confirming that indeed Pauline Hanson behaved in a racist, Islamophobic, and hateful manner,” Faruqi noted. “Hate speech is not free speech, and the Federal Court has reaffirmed that today.”
Founded in 1997, One Nation was initially regarded as a fringe party. However, Hanson’s stringent stance on immigration has garnered increased support in recent polls. Hanson has previously advocated for eliminating multiculturalism in Australia, promoting the idea of a “monocultural” society.
