Politics

‘Badly thought through’ hate speech law should be shelved, says Sinn Féin

Bill backed by party when put before Dáil in 2023 but SF now urges scrappage after listening ‘carefully’ to ‘major’ concerns

A rally against proposed hate speech legislation outside Leinster House in 2021; the proposal is stalled in the Seanad at present. Photograph: Dara MacDónaill

Fiachra Gallagher
Tue Mar 26 2024 - 18:46

Sinn Féin is calling for proposed laws on hate speech to be scrapped, despite party TDs previously voting in the Dáil to support the legislation.

Sinn Féin’s justice spokesman Pa Daly said the proposed legislation was “badly thought through” and should therefore be scrapped.

“It is clear to me and to Sinn Féin that this Bill does not have support across the political spectrum. It must be scrapped,” he said in a statement.

In April 2023, Sinn Féin TDs supported the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill when it was put to a vote in the Dáil. The motion to support the Bill was carried, by 110 votes to 14.

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The legislation proposed in the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill will create new iterations of existing criminal offences, legislating for offences motivated by hatred against people with a “protected characteristic” such as race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is coming under pressure to scrap the proposed legislation, which stalled in the Seanad last summer amid concerns about its scope and impact on freedom of speech.

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Sinn Féin said on Tuesday it has “listened very carefully” to the “major” concerns surrounding the Bill and is now calling for it to be scrapped. It also noted that its senators recently voted to delay progress of the bill in the Seanad.

“Sinn Féin have set out our critique of the Bill at various stages of the legislative process, proposing substantial amendments and most recently voting for an amendment to delay progress of the Bill in the Seanad,” said the party.

Sinn Fein Cork TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire defended the move, saying the party’s Senators voted against it in the Seanad in June.

“The reason that we voted against last June is the reason that we are opposed to it now … Some of the definitions are far too broad,” he said. “To be honest, too much time has been taken up by this. We have expressed concerns from the outset.”

The Department of Justice was contacted for comment.

Fine Gael TDs Michael Ring and Charlie Flanagan have also called for the proposed legislation to be scrapped.

Fiachra Gallagher

Fiachra Gallagher

Fiachra Gallagher is an Irish Times journalist

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