A campaigning group has accused politicians of not engaging with people who are targeted by hate crime.

The Coalition Against Hate Crime is led by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL).

In a statement today (27 January), it says that the Oireachtas Justice Committee has so far conducted one session on the legislation dealing with the issue, with no representation from key affected groups such as LGBTI+ people, or people with disabilities.

The group says that there is no calendar for further engagement before the publication of the bill.

‘Clear rationale’

Doireann Ansbro (ICCL head of legal and policy) says it is important that the voices of targeted communities are heard, as the Government drafts legislation on hate crime.

“It’s not sufficient to invite some groups but not others,” she states. “Different groups experience hate crime in different ways, and all lived experiences need to be reflected in the legislation.”

The ICCL-led group has called on the Oireachtas to engage with representatives from all the communities that stand to benefit from the new legislation, at all stages of the legislative process.

“There needs to be a very clear rationale as to why some groups will be protected and others won’t,” it says.

Hate speech

The ICCL has also expressed concern that the committee hearing focused only on hate crime, and did not engage in sufficient scrutiny on the section of the legislation dealing with hate speech.

It argues that, while the issues are related, they are distinct, and must be treated as such in law.

“Hate speech, though abhorrent, should only be outlawed in the most extreme cases such as incitement to violence. Otherwise, legislation risks impinging on freedom of expression,” the group says.

An ICCL submission recommends that hate speech be treated in separate legislation to hate crime, to avoid confusion.