Question reference: S6W-19193
- Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 15 June 2023
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Current status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 27 June 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce commencement regulations for the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.
Answer
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 will consolidate, modernise and extend existing hate crime legislation in Scotland. We are working closely with justice partners to ensure effective implementation of the Hate Crime Act..
We continue to work towards a commencement period of early 2024 in order to provide sufficient time to allow justice partners to complete a number of IT change programmes which will support implementation.
Officials and Ministers are continuing to engage regularly with justice partners with a view to ensuring the necessary IT changes are delivered in time for implementation by our early 2024 deadline.
Hate crimes will continue to be dealt with under existing hate crime legislation until such time as the Act comes into force.