08 February

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission says the Government’s decision to drop already watered-down harmful speech legislation leaves religious communities vulnerable.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins today announced the amendment to protect religious groups from hatred-inciting speech would instead be referred to the Law Commission.

“This is a failure of the Government to act on a key recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019,” said Te Amokapua Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt.

“When we should have been coming together as a society to do all we can to ensure such horrific acts of terror never happen again, the Government has instead given way to often mis-informed and opportunistic political debate.”

In November last year other groups vulnerable to harmful speech, such as women, disabled people and the rainbow community, were excluded from the proposed legislation.

“I think it is a very sad day that such a straightforward amendment to legislation has been dropped in this way,” said Kaikōmihana Whakawhanaungatanga ā Iwi Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon.

“Our heart goes out to the Muslim community here in Aotearoa New Zealand, who are most impacted by today’s announcement.”

Recommendation 40 of the Royal Commission of Inquiry said the government should amend harmful speech laws to include religion as a protected group.

The Commission will be consulting with impacted communities in the coming days, to seek their responses to today’s announcement by the Government.

The amendment sought to include religion alongside the existing protected grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins.

Notes:

Recommendation 40 of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019 recommends that the Government:

Repeal section 131 of the Human Rights Act 1993 and insert a provision in the Crimes Act 1961 for an offence of inciting racial or religious disharmony, based on an intent to stir up, maintain or normalise hatred, through threatening, abusive or insulting communication with protected characteristics that include religious affiliation.

https://christchurchattack.royalcommission.nz/the-report/executive-summary-2/summary-of-recommendations/

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