New anti-vilification laws to protect more Victorians from hate
CMY welcomes the passing of the long-awaited landmark Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill 2024 through Parliament this week. We acknowledge the Government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening anti-vilification laws and improving social cohesion in Victoria.
The new laws are designed to protect more Victorians from vilification and hate – expanding protections to include disability, gender identity, sex, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, and personal association with a person who has a protected attribute.
They will introduce new criminal offences for serious vilification, and strengthen existing civil protections against vilification, providing communities with further avenues to address vilification and seek resolution. They will also protect the right to free speech and religion, by recognising exceptions for religious and artistic purposes.
Read more about Government’s new anti-vilification laws here.
These long-awaited changes are the culmination of more than five years of work, which included a number of consultation phases and opportunities for the community to engage. CMY provided feedback and input at various stages, from the initial Inquiry into Anti-vilification Protections to our more recent submission – bringing the concerns and experiences of multicultural young people and families we work with into the conversation.
While the strengthening of these laws is a welcome and positive step, it cannot be done in isolation. As a state, we must continue to prioritise investment in community education and social cohesion programs that focus on challenging all forms of hate within our communities.
We must recognise the diverse and intersecting identities of individual members of our communities, and these new laws will help to ensure all Victorians can safely participate in daily life without fear of hate and vilification.