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Legislation on hate crimes now in force

Legislation that provides for higher prison sentences for crimes motivated by hatred has now come into force. 

The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said earlier this week that she had signed an order to bring the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 into effect on 31 December 2024. 

The act provides for increased prison sentences for certain crimes, where proven to be motivated by hatred, or where hatred is demonstrated.

For example, assault aggravated by hatred, or damage to property aggravated by hatred, will attract higher prison sentences. 

The legislation is aimed at protecting people targeted because of certain identity characteristics – including race, colour, nationality, religion, national or ethnic origin, descent, disability, gender, sex characteristics, and sexual orientation. 

Incitement 

Minister McEntee said that the legislation met “a clear gap” in Irish law. 

The act had passed all stages in the Oireachtas in October last year, after amendments had removed parts of the proposed legislation that dealt with incitement to violence or hatred. 

The Department of Justice said that incitement to hatred and hate speech were criminalised separately under the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989, which remained in force.