Hate has no home here: Northern Ireland Justice Minister

Justice Minister Naomi Long has made a call to action on hate crime.

Speaking during Hate Crime Awareness Week, the Minister reaffirmed her commitment to creating a fair, just and safe community which is inclusive and welcoming to everyone in our society.

She said: Our society has become so much more diverse in recent years, and it is all the richer for it. Targeting a person because of who they are or what they believe be it their race, religion, political belief, sexuality, gender identity or disability is wrong and needs to be called out.

During Hate Crime Awareness Week, it is time to reflect on the disorder we witnessed on our streets some months ago, to stand with those communities who have been intimidated and abused, and to continue to speak out against those who seek to destroy our community. Everyone in our community should be able to live without the fear of threats or violence.

One of the Minister's priorities has been to strengthen the law and to improve the criminal justice experience for victims of hate crime. The Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill and Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill will modernise hate crime law in Northern Ireland and provide a more robust system to hold offenders to account.

She said: These reforms matter because the impact of hate can be long lasting and far reaching. It can affect not only the person targeted, but also families and entire communities, spreading fear and undermining people's sense of safety and belonging. By recognising the hate element clearly and consistently throughout the justice process, we are sending an equally clear message: these crimes will be taken seriously.

The Minister also praised the work of the Hate Crime Advocacy Service (HCAS), jointly funded by the Department of Justice and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). HCAS plays an important role in supporting victims of hate crime through the criminal justice process, offering a safe and confidential space, and signposting to other services such as housing, health and psychological support.

The Minister said: In 2025/26, HCAS recorded the highest number of referrals since the service was established, a 28% increase on the previous year. While it is disappointing that our society requires this service, it is encouraging to see victims of hate crime seeking and receiving this vital support at a critical time.

If you experience or witness hate crime, please report it. You can contact the police by phone or online, seek support through experienced hate crime advocates, or report anonymously to Crimestoppers. Reporting matters: it helps victims access support, enables the justice system to respond and gives us a clearer picture of the harm being caused in our communities.

But I am making a clear call to action, we must do more than refuse to tolerate hate: we must challenge it, support those it targets and uphold the dignity of every person in our community. Together, we can make it clear that hate has no home here. We must stand together against hate crime.
 

Notes to editors:

1. Support included in the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill include provisions to allow automatic eligibility for consideration of special measures and protection from in-person cross-examination by the defendant in hate crime cases.
2. Hate crime provisions in the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill include a statutory aggravation model for hate crime offences, allowing all existing criminal offences to be aggravated by hostility based on membership or perceived membership of a protected group. This will allow the hate element to be considered throughout the criminal justice process and convictions for an aggravated offence will be recorded as such on the offender's criminal record. It will also recognise intersectionality by allowing recording of hostility towards more than one protected group in a single offence.