June 2023
The Coalition Against Hate Crime has campaigned for hate crime legislation in Ireland for many years. The clarity it aims to provide to victims of hate crimes, offenders and criminal justice actors is long overdue.
Legislation is key to tackle hate crime and extreme hate speech, but we need to get it right. While supporting the general aim of the Bill, at previous legislative stages the Coalition has expressed key concerns that have, so far, for the most part not been addressed.
We note with disappointment that only a minimal number of the extensive list of suggested changes we put forward as the legislation went through the Dáil – which found consensus among 23 organisations representing communities impacted by hate crime and hate speech – have been taken on board.
This briefing highlights a series of key concerns and changes we would like to see in the Bill.