Alliance Hate Crime spokesperson Councillor Chris McCaw has encouraged people to take part in a public consultation into a Hate Crime Bill launched by the Department of Justice.

The consultation is seeking views to inform the development of such a Bill, which will be taken forward in the next Assembly mandate. Justice Minister Naomi Long said tackling hate crime is one of her key priorities, as we must do all we can to both protect victims and prevent incidents from occurring in the first place.

“Seeking public opinion into a Hate Crime Bill is an important move in tackling the issue and I thank the Justice Minister for bringing it,” said Councillor McCaw.

“As we seek to build an inclusive society, we must ensure our community is safe for everyone. Yet sadly many people still face intimidation and isolation because of who they are – whether their race, religion, political opinion, sexuality, gender identity or disability. That is unacceptable.

“A Hate Crime Bill, building on a wide range of recommendations, will help increase awareness of what hate crime is, how we can all play a role to help prevent it and what to do if people see it occurring. By doing that, hopefully we will see fewer incidents and more victims protected.”