In February, Federal Parliament passed the Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes)
Bill, making changes to the existing hate crime provisions in the Criminal Code Act of 1995.
The Bill was introduced to Parliament last year, by Federal Labor MP and former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
He said the new protections will support law enforcement’s ability to intervene early to prevent acts of violence.
"With these laws, we are sending a clear signal to those who seek to divide us. There is no place in this country for hate speech and other hateful conduct that urges or threatens violence against others."
But some experts say more needs to be done to support targeted communities.
Ahead of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech on June 18, we ask how Australia’s new hate speech laws aim to deal with the impact on our society, and what else can be done.
