Hate crime laws to be proposed by Justice Minister
The Justice Minister is to bring proposals which would introduce laws against hate crime.
If passed, it would see harsher sentences where a crime is ruled to be motivated by prejudice against certain people.
This would apply to crimes against someone based on their race, colour, nationality, religion and ethnic background – including Traveller ethnicity.
Crimes committed because of someone's sexual orientation, gender or disability would also fall under the new laws.
They would carry harsher convictions - for example, assault causing harm carries a maximum of five years in prison.
Assault causing harm aggravated by being a hate crime would mean a max 7-year jail term.
Other aggregated offences would include crimes like coercion, harassment, criminal damage and threatening to kill.
That's if they are deemed to be carried out because of prejudice.
If a jury finds a crime was committed, but it isn't a hate crime, then the lower sentence can be given.
The Bill also provides for changes to laws around incitement to hatred.
This would see the maximum sentence go from two years to five years under indictment for that offence.
If passed this would be the first time that Ireland has legislated for hate crime, with Minister Helen McEntee hoping the laws will be enacted next year.
