Changes have been made to the Government’s hate crime bill after complaints from campaigning groups that the first version would make it too hard to secure prosecutions. However, Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, says the legislation will contain “robust safeguards” for freedom of expression. In Britain, though, similar legislation has seen individuals investigated by police for alleged ‘transphobia’ and ‘Islamophobia’ and has been strongly criticised.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said the initial intention was to keep a relatively high threshold for conviction of a hate crime, given the serious repercussions for someone’s record.

The new law will legislate for ‘hate crimes’ by creating new, aggravated forms of certain existing criminal offences, where those offences are motivated by prejudice against a protected characteristic such as race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability.

It will also make it easier to prosecute people for ‘hate’ speech.