Hanson seeks to take free speech fight to High Court

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is seeking a High Court appeal over a racial discrimination law she claims stifles free speech, preventing Australians from expressing opinions free of fear of being labeled racist or facing legal consequences. Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act prohibits the act of offending, insulting, humiliating, or intimidating someone based on their race, color, or national or ethnic background.

Recently, Hanson failed to challenge a court ruling that she made a racially insensitive comment online, in which she told Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi to "piss off back to Pakistan." In a 2024 Federal Court decision, Justice Angus Stewart deemed the tweet "seriously offensive" and a "strong form of racism." Hanson had previously appealed the decision but it was dismissed by the Federal Court Full Court on July 27.

In a statement on Saturday, she emphasized that the case is "bigger than her and bigger than one tweet," stating that she is taking this fight to the High Court for all Australians who feel silenced and must refrain from openly sharing their thoughts on matters like immigration, race, religion, Indigenous policy, and other significant issues due to the fear of being accused of racism, subjected to complaints, or facing court proceedings.

Hanson contends that the government should not dictate what Australians are permitted to say, as speaking candidly about political matters should not result in individuals being brought to court. The tweet that led to her legal troubles was in response to a social media post from Faruqi on the day of Queen Elizabeth's death, where she criticized the monarch's legacy as that of a "racist empire built on stolen lives, land, and wealth of colonized peoples."

Hanson retorted that she was appalled and disgusted by Faruqi's comments, stating that upon immigrating to Australia, she took full advantage of the country, and when she observed her contentment, she urged her to leave and return to Pakistan. During a recent European trip, Hanson met with anti-immigration activist and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson and commented on Australia's influx of migrants.