Conclusion 5

There is no evidence of the perpetrators of hate crime being drawn disproportionately from one community over another; rather, hate crime is a problem that manifests across both traditional communities and is the responsibility of all to tackle. It is, however, very clear that legislation needs strengthening to ensure better protection is provided for victims of hate crime. We therefore welcome the launch by the Department of Justice in January 2022 of a public consultation ahead of a new Hate Crime Bill which is due to be introduced in the next Assembly mandate. But we would urge a speedier timetable for this given how far behind Northern Ireland 20 The experiences of minority ethnic and migrant people in Northern Ireland is compared with the rest of the UK, and, in the worst-case scenario where the Executive does not function for a prolonged period, that Westminster delivers on this legislation.