All people have a right to live free of discrimination and vilification and the Jewish Council supports the Victorian government’s commitment to protecting marginalised communities from acts of hatred.

The Jewish Council of Australia stands in support of robust civil protections against hate speech while ensuring that criminal laws do not target marginalised communities and restrict legitimate political communication and protest. 

The Victorian Government’s proposed anti-vilification legislation represents a positive step forward in expanding anti-vilification protections to include gender identity, disability, sex, and sexuality. Our laws should provide equal protection for all communities against acts of hate.

The Jewish Council supports the calls of human rights and community organisations to include a public interest defence, and strong safeguards to prevent this Bill’s criminal provisions from disproportionately targeting racialised and over-policed communities.

The Victorian Government must ensure that laws designed to protect communities from vilification do not inadvertently silence legitimate political advocacy or protest, particularly at a time when political expression is increasingly being curtailed. Without the public interest defence, the legislation is more liable to be misused against already marginalised communities, including those engaging in legitimate protest. 

Expanded criminal provisions covering a broader range of conduct will do very little to address systemic societal problems of racism and hatred. Many marginalised communities do not feel safe relying on police for protection and expanded police powers disproportionately impact First Nations and other racialised communities. We would urge the Victorian government to empower community-led responses aimed at preventing and addressing the root causes of racism rather than relying on blunt criminalisation approaches.

For further comment email jewishcouncil@jewishcouncil.com.au or SMS 0493 970 412.