Australia’s High Court has agreed to hear an appeal by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson regarding a ruling that she engaged in racial discrimination against Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. The court granted Hanson special leave to appeal on Thursday, allowing her to challenge a decision made by the full Federal Court earlier this year.
The legal dispute stems from comments Hanson made to Faruqi, in which she told the senator to “pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan.” The Federal Court unanimously upheld a 2024 decision, agreeing that Hanson’s remarks portrayed Faruqi as a “second-class citizen.”
The High Court’s decision to hear the case marks the final stage of the legal proceedings in this matter. Hanson, who leads the One Nation party, will now present her arguments to the nation’s highest court, seeking to overturn the lower court’s findings of racial discrimination.
The original 2024 decision was subsequently affirmed by the full bench of the Federal Court, which found that Hanson’s statements violated anti-discrimination laws. The grant of special leave indicates that the High Court has determined the case raises a significant question of law worth resolving.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>
