New hate crime laws have been passed in Queensland, criminalising the display of certain symbols, with up to six months imprisonment for offenders.
The public display, distribution or publication of prohibited hate symbols will become a criminal offence, particularly those that represent an extreme prejudice against a particular religious, ethnic, gender, or other relevant group.
Offences will include publicly displaying tattoos of prohibited symbols and the publication of them online.
The legislation does include exceptions, such as public display for genuine artistic, religious, educational, historical, legal, or law enforcement purposes.
Those who commit offences while motivated by “hatred or serious contempt” against a particular person or group’s characteristics are liable to receive tougher penalties, which includes custodial sentences.
These offences include going armed as to cause fear, threatening violence, assault occasioning bodily harm, wilful damage, stalking, harassment, and public nuisance.
