The Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill 2024 will replace Victoria’s current vilification law, Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, to address hate conduct.
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Ro Allen said making the law more accessible and effective was a significant milestone in the state’s fight against hate.
“Victoria will benefit from a more robust law to challenge hate,” Commissioner Allen said.
“Now, more than ever, it’s vital to ensure people are better protected and perpetrators are held to account.”
The reform increases protections for people who are disproportionately targeted by hate speech and conduct in Victoria.
People who are subjected to hate based on their race or religion will be much better protected, while the law will protect people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people and women for the first time.
The law will also enable people to make complaints about intersectional experiences of hate.
The commission has welcomed the strengthening of civil protections under the reform.
The new law will provide protection against a broader range of hate conduct by making it easier to call out everyday forms of hate as unlawful under its new harm-based protection.
“People should feel safe and free from hate of any kind in our state,” Commissioner Allen said.
“These reforms will allow more people to take action against hate more easily.”
The commission’s functions will be expanded to more effectively regulate hate by receiving complaints, conducting research and delivering education upon the new law taking effect.
Commissioner Allen said the breadth of the Victorian Government’s reform process for anti-vilification, which has spanned more than five years and included three years of community consultation, had been the key to developing good legislation.
“It’s great to see such a strong law come to fruition after thorough consultation,” Commissioner Allen said.
“If not ourselves, it’s a colleague or a friend — we all know someone who experiences hate.
“When people can rely on effective safeguards from hate as a basic human right — it’s a win for everyone in Victoria.”
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