Media Releases

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) has welcomed the passing of the Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2024, including the establishment of mandatory minimum jail sentences for violations, in the Federal Parliament yesterday.

AIJAC executive director Dr Colin Rubenstein AM said, “These amendments have rectified some serious gaps in the Criminal Code and will ideally act as a deterrent against the systemic acts of violence and intimidation we’ve seen in the streets of major Australian cities for the past 15 months.

“The bipartisan support for these necessary measures, which give law enforcement and judicial authorities more teeth in dealing with violators, is to be commended. However, the ultimate success of the Bill will depend on the political commitment to enforce the laws diligently, which has often been disappointingly lacking over the last two years.

“AIJAC also continues to emphasise the need for criminal rather than merely civil penalties for the most serious examples of racial vilification,” Dr Rubenstein concluded.