An independent working group recommended specific legislation in Scotland for hate crimes towards individuals based on their sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability.
Source: Working Group on Hate Crime Report, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2004-Oct
An article argued that approaches to racist offending had given excessive weight to individual motives and intentions, whereas much offending behaviour was grounded in wider cultural and social contexts.
Source: Larry Ray and David Smith, 'Racist offending, policing and community conflict', Sociology, Volume 38 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Oct
A report summarized what was known about the experience of, and attitudes towards, crime and justice in England and Wales on the part of black and minority ethnic groups. It aimed to shed light on the issues of why the experiences of different ethnic groups varied, and whether this might be due to discrimination.
Source: Ian Hearnden and Mike Hough, Race and the Criminal Justice System: An overview to the complete statistics 2002 2003, Criminal Justice System Race Unit/Home Office (0207 273 4097)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Sep
A paper presented the interim findings of a project aimed at developing a strategic framework for the prevention of racist violence.
Source: Sarah Isal, Preventing Racist Violence: Interim findings, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Sep
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on its proposals to legislate against hate crime. It accepted the committee's recommendation to include provisions to protect people with disabilities.
Source: 'Hate Crime': The Draft Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 - Government response, Fifth Special Report (Session 2003-04), HC 954, House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2004-Jul
Draft legislation was published aimed at tackling 'hate crime' in Northern Ireland. There would be a statutory requirement for judges to treat racial and religious aggravation, and hatred of sexual orientation or disability, as an aggravating factor when sentencing.
Source: Draft Criminal Justice (No.2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004, Northern Ireland Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Draft order | Explanatory note | NIO press release
Date: 2004-Jun
An inspectorate report said that the Crown Prosecution Service had made real progress in the previous two years in its handling of cases arising from racist incidents. But in fifth of cases, charges still failed to reflect the racist element of the crime.
Source: A Follow Up Review of CPS Casework with a Minority Ethnic Dimension, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (020 7210 1197)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | CPSI press release (pdf) | CPS press release
Date: 2004-May
A report by a committee of MPs said that there was evidence of a 'significant and rapidly growing' problem of 'hate crime' in Northern Ireland.
Source: 'Hate Crime': The Draft Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2004, Fifth Report (Session 2003-04), HC 615, House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-May
The number of racist incidents resulting in official prosecutions increased by 12.5 per cent, from 3,728 to 4,192, in 2002-03.
Source: Racist Incident Monitoring Annual Report 2002-2003, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: Report (pdf) | CPS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Apr
A report reviewed the scale and nature of racist harassment and violence in Northern Ireland, as evidenced by an analysis of all the racist incidents recorded by the police between 1996 and 2001.
Source: Neil Jarman and Rachel Monaghan, Racist Harassment in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report (pdf) | NIE press release
Date: 2004-Apr
The government announced draft proposals to tackle 'hate crime' in Northern Ireland. There would be a statutory requirement for judges to treat racial and religious aggravation and hatred of sexual orientation as an aggravating factor when sentencing.
Source: Draft Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2004, Northern Ireland Office (028 9052 0700)
Links: Draft order (pdf) | NIO press release
Date: 2004-Feb
The Scottish Executive published a consultation paper on hate crime. It examined the case for legal measures to address offences motivated by hatred or prejudice towards social groups.
Source: Working Group on Hate Crime: Consultation paper, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Consultation document
Date: 2004-Jan