It outlines a list of “protected characteristics” that includes race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnicity or national origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability.
She said there should be more clarity on the definition of hatred. The Bill says “‘hatred’ means hatred against a person or a group of persons in the State or elsewhere on account of their protected characteristics”. However, Ms Ansbro said this amounts to a definition of “hatred is hatred”. Ms Ansboro welcomed the provision on freedom of expression but said ICCL would like to see an explicit reference to protections under the European declarations on rights as well as the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights.
Some organisations representing minority communities have raised concern that defences open to a person accused of incitement to hatred like political, academic or religious discourse under the legislation are too broad. Luna Liboni, ICCL’s equality and hate crime policy officer is also the chairwoman of the Coalition Against Hate Crime Ireland which includes 21 organisations that represent people most at risk of hate crime.
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