Activist pleads insanity in latest test of Queensland hate speech laws

A 70-year-old activist has mounted an unusual legal challenge to Queensland’s new hate speech laws today, telling a Brisbane court he intends to plead insanity as a protest against the legislation.

Jim Dowling appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court charged with publicly displaying a prohibited expression during a demonstration outside Boeing’s Brisbane offices on 18 March 2026.

Police allege Dowling held a sign reading: “From the river to the sea, Brisbane will be free of Boeing”, adapting a slogan that is now restricted under Queensland law in certain contexts.

The laws, introduced last month, make it an offence to use specified expressions in a way that could reasonably be expected to cause a person to feel threatened, harassed or intimidated.

Dowling told the court he wished to enter an insanity plea, not on medical grounds but to argue the charge itself was “insane.”. He said his protest was directed at Boeing’s involvement in global conflicts and was not intended as a statement about the Middle East.

The matter was adjourned and is expected to return to court later this month. Dowling indicated he intends to represent himself.

The case is among the first to test Queensland’s new hate speech regime, which explicitly restricts slogans including “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada” when used in threatening or harmful ways.

A similar recent case in Queensland involves Liam Parry, a 33-year-old member of Students for Palestine, who became the first person charged under the state’s new hate speech laws. On 11 March 2026, the day the legislation took effect, he was arrested at a pro-Palestine protest outside Queensland Parliament in Brisbane for reciting the phrase “from the river to the sea”.

Parry faced court on April 8, 2026, for one count of reciting a prohibited expression reasonably expected to menace, harass, or offend. The matter was adjourned to 29 April 2026, the same date as Jim Dowling’s next appearance. He is contesting the charge and faces up to two years’ imprisonment. Dozens of supporters rallied outside court on the day.

The laws carry penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment and were introduced amid heightened concern about antisemitism and community safety following recent attacks and rising tensions.

They have prompted debate over the balance between protecting vulnerable communities and preserving freedom of expression, with legal experts and civil liberties advocates warning the provisions may face constitutional scrutiny.

Dowling’s case is expected to help define how broadly the laws will be applied.

The matter was adjourned, with his next appearance scheduled for Wednesday 29 April 2026 in the same court. Dowling intends to represent himself.