Call to legislate for hate crimes

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has urged the Government to legislate for hate crime as a matter of urgency, saying it is widespread, yet “remains in the shadows” of our criminal justice system.

The ICCL yesterday launched a report based on research by the University of Limerick’s Hate and Hostility Research Group. It shows that crimes motivated by “hate” such as racism are neither recorded nor prosecuted as such in Ireland.

The absence of specific categories for hate crimes in the Irish criminal justice system also makes it difficult to prosecute any hate-fuelled or racially motivated offences.