Pauline Hanson's $2million legal bill after 'go back to Pakistan' comment: 'Not happy'

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 07:28, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 07:30, 28 July 2026 Pauline Hanson faces a legal bill approaching $2million as she considers a High Court challenge after losing an appeal against a ruling that found she racially discriminated against Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi.  The Full Federal Court unanimously dismissed Hanson's appeal this week, leaving the One Nation leader with only one legal option remaining at the High Court.  Speaking on Sky News with Peta Credlin on Monday, Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby said the case had already cost between $1.6million and $2million, describing the litigation as an attack on free speech. 'We're not happy with the decision. We have to respect it,' he said.  The case arose from a social media exchange in September 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Faruqi, who migrated to Australia from Pakistan in 1992, said she would not mourn the monarch, claiming she had led a 'racist empire'.  Hanson replied by telling the Greens senator to 'pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan'. Faruqi later took Federal Court action and won. Pauline Hanson faces a legal bill approaching $2million as she considers a High Court challenge after losing an appeal against a ruling that found she racially discriminated against Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi This week, a three-judge Full Federal Court bench rejected all grounds of Hanson's appeal and upheld findings that Hanson's post targeted immigrants, Muslims and people of colour. The court also rejected arguments that the Racial Discrimination Act should not apply to political communication. Ashby said he received a call from a former Federal Court judge after the judgment was handed down. 'I received a phone call today from a former Federal Court judge who said the outcome of today's decision was intellectually dishonest and lazy,' he said. 'And so I struggle to disagree.' While Ashby acknowledged the unanimous nature of the ruling, he insisted there were still grounds to seek special leave to appeal to the High Court. 'It goes without saying there are grounds there to take this now to the High Court,' he said. 'Whether they will accept that, we'll find out in six months' time, but we've got a limited amount of time to do it.'  Hanson's appeal against claims she discriminated against Faruqi (pictured) was rejected   Ashby repeatedly called the case an example of 'lawfare' and renewed calls to reform section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. 'This is lawfare at its worst,' he said. 'An increasing number of people just want to use our laws against us to shut us up under 18C.' He pointed to the Coalition's failed bid to amend the provision under former prime minister Tony Abbott, arguing the issue should return to the political debate. The Full Federal Court's decision reinforces a 2024 ruling that found Hanson's comments were reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate and intimidate Faruqi, as well as Muslim Australians and migrants more broadly. The judges found the post to be a modern variation of the historically racist slogan 'go back to where you came from'. Hanson has flagged a possible High Court challenge and said her legal team would closely examine the judgment. If the case proceeds, it will be her final chance to overturn the finding that her comments breached Australia's racial discrimination laws.