Publications

Racist Hate Crime: Human Rights and the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland

Racism is a scourge that challenges societies worldwide. It causes immense suffering for its victims and it undermines communities. In Northern Ireland (NI) the form of racism that draws most attention, as noted by the United Nations, is sectarianism. However, racism takes many other forms. In particular, racist verbal and physical threats and attacks on immigrants are a cause of concern. The Police Service of Northern Ireland reports that racism comes second only to sectarianism as the most reported form of hate crime: in 2012/13, the official statistics recorded 750 racist incidents and 470 racist hate crimes.