The Federal Court has dismissed Pauline Hanson’s appeal and upheld a 2024 judgment that her 2022 reply to Senator Mehreen Faruqi—telling her to "go back to Pakistan"—constituted racial discrimination. A 2024 judge called the phrase a long-standing racist trope and ordered Hanson to delete the post and pay Faruqi’s legal costs. Justice Melissa Perry rejected Hanson’s argument that the message was protected political communication; Hanson says she may seek High Court review.
Federal Court Upholds Ruling That Pauline Hanson's 'Go Back To Pakistan' Tweet Was Racial Discrimination
Pauline Hanson has lost her bid to overturn a court ruling that she racially vilified Senator Mehreen Faruqi [Getty Images]
An Australian federal court has dismissed Pauline Hanson’s appeal and upheld a 2024 finding that her 2022 social media reply telling Senator Mehreen Faruqi to "go back to Pakistan" amounted to racial discrimination.
Senator Faruqi had posted condolences on the day Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 while also criticising the monarchy as "a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonized people." Hanson replied with a message a judge later described as "a variant of the slogan, 'go back to where you came from'."
2024 Ruling and This Appeal
In 2024, Judge Angus Stewart found Hanson’s reply to be "a racist trope with a long history" that implicitly targeted Muslims. He ordered Hanson to delete the tweet and to pay Senator Faruqi’s legal costs after concluding the comment was reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate a person or group and was motivated by race, colour or national or ethnic origin.
Hanson appealed that decision to the Federal Court, arguing her comment was protected political communication. On Monday, Justice Melissa Perry dismissed the appeal, leaving the 2024 judgment intact.
"Today's win is for every single person who has been made to feel that their belonging in this country is conditional," Faruqi said outside the court. "This case was always about holding to account racism and holding to account those who perpetrate racism. Hate speech is not free speech."
Context And Reactions
Faruqi, deputy leader of the Greens, brought the case under the Racial Discrimination Act. The court found the tweet met the legal threshold of being reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate and that the conduct was done because of the target’s race, colour or national or ethnic origin.
Hanson said she was "disappointed" by the decision and that she and her legal team would consider a further challenge, potentially to the High Court of Australia.
Hanson has a history of anti-Muslim commentary and previously advocated for a "Muslim ban" on immigration. Earlier this year she drew criticism for saying there were no "good" Muslims. In a recent podcast with British activist Tommy Robinson, Hanson denied seeking a return to the historic "White Australia" policy, though she suggested demographic changes occurred after that policy ended.
Why This Matters
The case clarifies limits on abusive political speech in Australia and underscores that publicly directed racial insults can breach the Racial Discrimination Act even when made in a political context. The outcome may influence how online political discourse is moderated and litigated going forward.
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