Last-minute bid to stop Voice referendum fails

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An Indigenous activist's High Court bid to stop the Voice to parliament referendum from going ahead has failed.

Robbie Thorpe, the uncle of independent senator Lidia Thorpe, sought to argue Saturday's vote was "an attack on Aboriginal sovereignty".

Thorpe said in a statement on Friday the denial of sovereignty was causing serious mental harm.

READ MORE: Yes and No campaigns make final pitches to voters

Early voting in the Voice to parliament referendum.

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However, Chief Justice Susan Kiefel made a direction under High Court rules which meant Thorpe's writ was not accepted for filing.

The rule states "if a writ, application, summons, affidavit or other document appears to a registrar on its face to be an abuse of the process of the court, to be frivolous or vexatious or to fall outside the jurisdiction of the court, the registrar may seek the direction of a justice".

The justice may then direct the registrar to issue or file the document, or to refuse to issue or file the document.

Thorpe has previously sought to charge the Commonwealth with genocide.

For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).