Australia introduces new bill on Thursday, September 12, aiming to address hate crimes in the country. The centre-left administration recently presented new hate crime laws that will subject offenders who target people based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnic origin to criminal sanctions, including jail time.

Attorney General of Australia Mark Dreyfus stated that no one should be singled out for "what they believe in". A five-year prison penalty is suggested under Australia's anti-hate statute for anyone threatening to use force against an individual or a group, as well as if the threat is believed to be carried out.

hate crimes
Image Source: Southern Poverty Law Center

Consequences for Offenders

If the criminal constitutes a threat to the Australian government, they will face a seven-year sentence. The anti-hate statute was introduced in Australia at a time when hate crimes were on the rise. This spike in hate crimes, according to Reuters, comes after the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. It also follows a historic rule that was established in the previous year outlawing the nation's use of the Nazi salute and any public displays of terror organisation insignia.

Australia's Attorney General said in a statement announcing the new law that "no Australian should be targeted because of who they are or what they believe."

"We proudly live in a vibrant, multicultural and diverse community which we must protect and strengthen," he continued. The government also revealed plans to establish new legislation to combat "doxxing" — the publication or identification of a person's private information on the internet, usually with malicious intent.

Australia's anti-doxing bill would allow victims to sue for "serious privacy invasions". The felony carries a maximum jail sentence of six years. However, journalists and intelligence agencies would be exempted.

This follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's commitment in February to tackle doxing after anti-Israel groups in the country publicised the names, social media accounts, and other personal information of hundreds of Jewish Australians.

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