In England and Wales, five strands of hate crime; race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity are centrally monitored.   The UK Government has recently tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which, if it is passed, will make disability and LGBT hate crimes aggravated offences.  An […]

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) define hate crime as: Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person’s disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; […]

A hate incident is defined in Section 60 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 as: “an incident or alleged incident which involves or is alleged to involve an act by a person (“the alleged perpetrator”) which is perceived by a person other than the alleged perpetrator to […]

Background National Hate Crime Awareness Week (12 to 19 October 2024) is a national week of action to raise awareness about hate crime and encourage key partners and communities to work together to tackle hate crime.  It has been marked since 2009 and was established after the tenth anniversary of […]

The Catalyst In July 2024, three young girls were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event in the town of Southport in northern England. Eight other children suffered stab wounds and two adults were left in critical condition.       The incident sparked unrest such as riots and protests […]

Introduction The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force in Scotland on 1 April 2024.  The Scottish government has stated that the Act aims to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice and provide greater protection for victims and communities by consolidating existing hate crime […]

Introduction Schools have a duty of care to all registered pupils.  Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a legal duty on maintained schools and local authorities in England and Wales to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  Additionally, Section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 […]

Protected Characteristics Under the Equality Act 2010 It is against the law to be discriminated against at work based on one or more of your protected characteristics.  Under the Equality Act 2010, the protected characteristics for which a worker will be afforded protection against discrimination are age, disability, gender reassignment, […]

The Right to Freedom of Expression and its Limitations Freedom of expression is a fundamental right protected under the Human Rights Act 1998 by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and it is also protected under common law.  However, this right, “carries with it duties and […]

What is anti-social behaviour (ASB)? Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is defined by the Antisocial Behaviour Act (2003) and the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act (2011) as, “behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the […]