Justice Minister insists she wants shelved parts of hate crime bill to be progressed later

Justice Minister Helen McEntee. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The Justice Minister has insisted she wants to see parts of a controversial hate crime bill which she removed, progressed at a later stage.

Defending her decision to drop some aspects of the highly contentious new laws, Helen McEntee said passing an amended version of the bill still "sends a very clear message that hatred and violence are not tolerated in our society".