IALT Spring Discourse on Hate Crime

The 2024 International Association of Law Teachers Spring Discourse was held last week at Ulster University’s Belfast campus, centering on a discussion of hate speech and crime. Professor Jennifer Schweppe, co-director of the European Centre for the Study of Hate and Director of Research in the UL School of Law, was invited to speak alongside Dr. Colin Caughey, Director of Policy at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. 

Professor Schweppe was acclaimed for her considerable expertise in the field, both in Northern Ireland (having been a member of the Expert Group for the NI review on hate crime legislation) and internationally (e.g. co-director of the International Network for Hate Studies). We welcome the discussion of such an important and timely topic, not only because the legal regimes in both jurisdictions on the island are currently under review, but also because we are seeing increasing polarisation, misinformation and ‘othering’ of individuals and groups across society.

After an impactful presentation on the criminalisation of hate crime and the human rights elements, there was an impassioned audience discussion. The School of Law extends a proud congratulations to our hard working staff and hard hitting research. To learn more about what the ECSH are currently doing, visit their research page.