Hate crime legislation: Liberate CEO 'very encouraged' by Minister's plan

The CEO of Liberate Jersey says she's 'very encouraged' by the new Home Affairs Minister's plan to introduce hate crime legislation.

In response to a written question posed by Deputy Louise Doublet, Senator Helen Miles said she's committed to bringing forward legislation, by the end of 2027, that is 'fit for purpose and appropriate for Jersey'.

Senator Miles added:

"To ensure any proposals are evidence-based and reflect the needs of the Island, I intend to consult with the public, victims, community organisations,  criminal justice agencies and other stakeholders.

"The consultation will consider whether specific hate crime legislation is indeed required, which characteristics should be protected, and whether any measures would be proportionate and workable in Jersey."

A 12-week consultation is due to launch later this month, with responses to be analysed in January.

Kaye Nicholson, CEO of Liberate Jersey, said:

"It's something that Liberate has been campaigning on for many years and I feel very encouraged by Senator Miles' commitment to bring forward the legislation in a timely manner.

"Unfortunately, we are seeing incidents of hate crime in Jersey, they do happen, and I think that means that we do need dedicated legislation that gives a lens to that type of behaviour, it sends a very clear message within the community itself (that) this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated, and it also sends a message out about Jersey as a jurisdiction, that we are a modern, inclusive, and safe society."

A consultation opened in October 2019 on a new law aimed at tackling hate crime, but standalone hate crime legislation has yet to come into force in Jersey since.

The previous Home Affairs Minister, Senator Mary Le Hegarat, shelved plans last year for a dedicated law before the election because of not having 'sufficient time or resources' to complete it.

Ms Nicholson added:

"I think visibility of this issue has become more prevalent. We have had, unfortunately, a number of various incidents over the last year in particular  that have highlighted that this kind of behaviour is happening in our community and something does need to be done to stop it.

"Part of that is legislation, and the other part of that is community awareness, community responsibility, and calling out these behaviours when we see them.

"It is very important, it remains important, and I'm encouraged that the Minister has committed to a year-turnaround time for this, because it has been many years since the initial consultation and the initial commitment to bringing in this law, so I would like to see this happen in a timely manner."