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New Zealand Royal Commission Reports |
Last Updated: 30 March 2024
Hate speech and hate crime related legislation
ROYAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE TERRORIST ATTACK
ON CHRISTCHURCH MOSQUES ON 15 MARCH 2019
TE KŌMIHANA UIUI A TE WHAKAEKE KAIWHAKATUMA I NGĀ WHARE
26 November 2020
KŌRANA O ŌTAUTAHI I TE
15 O POUTŪ-TE-RANGI 2019
Hate speech and hate crime related legislation Published 26 November 2020
978-0-473-55635-8 (PDF)
© Copyright 2020
This document is available online at: www.christchurchattack.royalcommission.nz
Printed using ECF and FSC certified paper that is also Acid free and biodegradable.
Foreword from Commissioners
Assalaam ala kum and téná koutou
The Government established this Royal Commission to investigate the terrorist attack at the Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019. The purpose has been to determine what had happened, and why, and what should be done to reduce the risk of future attacks.At the heart of our inquiry were those who lost their lives, the whānau of the 51 shuhada and the survivors and witnesses of the 15 March 2019 terrorist attack and their whānau. Many affected whānau, survivors and witnesses raised issues with us relating to incidents they had suffered from fellow New Zealanders involving hate crime and hate speech.
We also heard from many submitters and in our engagement with communities and interest groups about how some New Zealanders are regularly subject to hate speech (both online and oThine) and hate crime.
We see hate speech and hate crime as being on the same spectrum of harmful behaviours as terrorism (see Part 2, chapter 5 of our report). For this reason, we decided to look at how these behaviours are dealt with under our current laws and associated New Zealand Police practice. Part 9, chapter 4 of our report explains why we consider that aspects
of New Zealand’s legal framework and New Zealand Police practice should be improved.
This supplementary document covers much the same ground as that chapter but in greater detail.
Hon Sir William Young KNZM Jacqui Caine
Chair Member
2
Contents
Chapter 1:
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Overview
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3
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Chapter 2:
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Hate crime
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12
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Chapter 3:
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Hate speech – sections 61 and 131 of Human Rights Act 1993
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18
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Chapter 4:
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Other laws addressing hate speech
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34
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Chapter 5:
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Concluding comments
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40
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Chapter 1: Overview
The role of this companion paper
For ease of comparison, the paper follows generally (although not exactly) the structure of that chapter, but is more detailed, particularly in respect of hate speech. There is somerepetition of information from Part 9, chapter 4 of our report to enable this companion paper to be read on a stand-alone basis.
a) discuss New Zealand’s current hate crime laws and propose legislative change (chapter two);b) explain the background to, and the operation of, sections 61 and 131 of the Human Rights Act 1993 and propose legislative change (chapter 3); and
c) review other laws addressing hate speech and propose a change to the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (chapter 4).
1 Law Commission (United Kingdom) Hate crime laws: A consultation paper (23 September 2020) https://s3-eu-west-2. amazonaws.com/lawcom-prod-storage-11jsxOU24UY7q/uploads/2020/10/Hate-crime-final-report.pdf.
2 Emma Webb “Finding the right balance in counter-extremism” in Ian Cram (ed) Extremism, Free Speech and Counter-terrorism Law and Policy (Routledge, Oxon Hill, 2019) at page 134.
What is hate crime?
a factor that can be taken into account for sentencing purposes (which is New Zealand’s current approach) or as an element of a separately created hate-motivated offence.
What is hate speech?
3 See Law Commission (United Kingdom) Hate Crime: Background to our Review (March 2019) at page 5 https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/hate-crime/.
Hate speech offences and freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
Under section 5 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, the right to freedom of expression may be:
... subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
There is considerable scope for argument and controversy as to what are “reasonable limits” when it comes to the right to freedom of expression.
a) the promotion of social cohesion;b) the desirability of limiting speech that encourages hostility that may result in harms, such as discrimination, abuse or actual violence or is psychologically and socially damaging for those targeted;
c) the importance of freedom of expression; and
d) ensuring that the law can be practically enforced.
4 See John Ip “Debating New Zealand’s Hate Crime Legislation: Theory and Practice” (2005) 21 New Zealand Universities Law Review at page 597, where he notes that “relying on the criminal justice paradigm to deal with social problems has rarely, if ever, proved to be a complete cure”.
5 See, for example, section 13 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, which guarantees everyone “the right to freedom of thought”.
Adverse consequences and victims of hate speech
a) Psychological harm of hate speech – It has been claimed that hate speech causes psychological harm to individuals, and that its presence in society reinforces the racist status quo.7 This is consistent with findings that suggest individuals subjected to non-physical discrimination suffer harm to their physical and mental health.8
6 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd [2018] NZHC 104, [2018] 2 NZLR 47.
7 Mari J Matsuda and others Words that Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech and the First Amendment (Westview Press, Colorado, 1993).
8 K Gelber and L McNamara “Evidencing the harms of hate speech” (2016) 22 Social Identities. We note that, more broadly, this is consistent with evidence that words can have a physical effect. See Martin N Teicher and others “Hurtful words: association of exposure to peer verbal abuse with elevated psychiatric symptom scores and corpus callosum abnormalities” (2010) 16 American Journal of Psychiatry.
b) Impact of hate speech on human dignity and public goods such as inclusive society – Jeremy Waldron argues that hate speech should be regulated as part of our commitment to human dignity, inclusion and respect for members of marginalised communities.9 Denigration of a marginalised community through hate speech undermines a public good that can and should be protected – the basic assurance
of inclusion in society for all members.
d) Impact of hate speech on New Zealanders generally – A Netsafe survey conducted in 2018 on the impact of online hate speech found that one in ten adults have been personally targeted by online hate speech.11 Of those targeted, about 60 percent reported a negative impact from the experience. Most reported being affected emotionally but also exhibiting changes in their behaviour. A third of those targetedreported not being affected. Descriptions of emotional impact included anger, sadness, fear and frustration. For some, online hate also affected their social interactions,
sleep and/or work.
e) The link between hate speech on the internet and hate crimes – A study commissioned by InternetNZ concluded that the case for the link between hate speech on the internet and hate crimes has been well made, however more research is needed to understand the details.12
9 Jeremy Waldron The Harm in Hate Speech (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2012).
10 Mari J Matsuda and others, footnote 7 above at page 50.
11 Netsafe Online Hate Speech: A survey on personal experiences and exposure among adult New Zealanders (November 2018) at page 16.
12 InternetNZ Online Hate and Offline Harm (8 May 2019).
there was a significant association. The results of the study indicated “a consistent positive association between Twitter hate speech targeting race and religion and oThine racially and religiously aggravated offences in London”.14 What this demonstrates is that “online hate victimisation is part of a wider process of harm that can begin on social media and then migrate to the physical world”.15 The study notes that if “we are to explain hate crime asa process and not a discrete act, with victimisation ranging from hate speech through to violent victimisation, social media must form part of that understanding”.16 There is value therefore in seeking to reduce hate speech online and oThine, not only to prevent the direct harm it causes but also to limit escalation of such speech to hate-motivated crimes.
Through the use of multiple data sources, this study uncovers the positive associations between hate crime and terrorism. In the context of intergroup conflict, there appears to be a continuum between the bias-motivated actions of non-extremists to the hate crimes and terrorist acts committed by far-rightists, with the presence of one type of activity seeing an escalation in the next type. As a result, it appears that hate crime and terrorism may be more akin to close cousins than distant relatives.17
a) minority ethnic groups, particularly Asians, followed by those who identified themselves within the “other” ethnicity category and then Māori and Pasifika respondents;b) males (13 percent) compared to females (8 percent);
c) younger adults, especially those between 18 and 39 years old;
d) people with disabilities (15 percent) compared to those without impairments (10 percent); and
e) non-heterosexual respondents (such as people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex).18
13 Matthew L Williams and others “Hate in the Machine: Anti-Black and Anti-Muslim Social Media Posts as Predictors of OThine Racially and Religiously Aggravated Crime” (2020) 60 British Journal of Criminology.
14 Matthew L Williams and others, footnote 13 above at page 111.
15 Matthew L Williams and others, footnote 13 above at page 114.
16 Matthew L Williams and others, footnote 13 above at page 112.
17 Colleen E Mills, Joshua D Freilich and Steven M Chermak “Extreme Hatred: Revisiting the Hate Crime and Terrorism Relationship to Determine Whether They Are ‘Close Cousins’ or ‘Distant Relatives’” (2017) 63 Crime & Delinquency.
18 See Netsafe, footnote 11 above.
Additionally, religion (24 percent) was the most frequent perceived reason for being personally targeted by online hate speech. This was followed by political views (20 percent), appearance (20 percent), race (20 percent) and ethnicity (18 percent).
Reporting, investigating and recording non-crime hate incidents
a) Police services should adopt the following definition of a racist incident:
A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person;
b) the term “racist incident” must be understood to include crimes and non-crimes in policing terms, and that both must be reported, recorded and investigated with equal commitment;c) the definition of racist incident should be universally adopted by Police services, local government and other relevant agencies;
d) Codes of Practice should be established by the Home Office, in consultation with Police services, local government and relevant agencies, to create a comprehensive system of reporting and recording all racist incidents and crimes;
19 eSafety Commissioner Online hate speech: Findings from Australia, New Zealand and Europe (29 January 2020) at page 16.
20 eSafety Commissioner, footnote 19 above at page 17.
21 eSafety Commissioner, footnote 19 above at page 20.
22 eSafety Commissioner, footnote 19 above at page 17.
23 Sir William Macpherson The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry (Cm 4262-I, February 1999).
e) all possible steps should be taken by Police services at a local level, in consultation with local government, other agencies and local communities, to encourage the reporting of racist incidents and crimes. This should include:
- the ability to report at locations other than Police stations; and
- the ability to report 24 hours a day.
f) there should be close cooperation between Police services, local government and other agencies, in particular housing and education departments, to ensure that all information about racist incidents and crimes is shared and is readily available to all agencies.
Mr Miller had published material on Twitter about transgender issues and this prompted a complaint by a transgender woman. No crime had been committed but the complaint was investigated. The Court found that, in doing so, a police constable had unlawfully interfered with Mr Miller’s right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, by turning up at his place of work and by what he said toMr Miller. However, the Court rejected Mr Miller’s broader challenge to the legality of the Hate Crime Operational Guidance based on the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by article 10.
24 Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales & Northern Ireland The ACPO Guidance to Identifying and Combating Hate Crime (2000).
25 College of Policing (United Kingdom) Hate Crime Operational Guidance (2014) https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/Support/Equality/Documents/Hate-Crime-Operational-Guidance.pdf.
26 R (on the application of Miller) v The College of Policing [2020] EWHC 225 (Admin).
to policing)27 and a human rights context that are appreciably different from the position in New Zealand.
High Court but set aside in the Court of Appeal, which found the High Court had committed a “fundamental error” by treating the right of non-discrimination under section 19 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act28 (which was only peripherally engaged in the case) as trumping the right to freedom of expression under section 14 of the Act (which was directly engaged).29 The decision in Living Word Distributors has received support from academics30 and was cited with approval by the High Court in Wall.31 The reasoning in Living Word Distributors is also broadly consistent with Chief Justice Elias’s reasons in Brooker v Police,32 in which she expressed misgivings whether the courts should “adjust” rights protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act (such as freedom of expression) to allow for values not recognised in that Act (in that case, privacy) unless the particular statute “unmistakably identifies the value as relevant”.33
27 See the amendments brought about by sections 123 and 124 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (United Kingdom).
28 This provides that “[e]veryone has the right freedom from discrimination on the grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act 1993”. Grounds of discrimination prohibited under section 21 of the Human Rights Act include “sexual orientation”.
29 Living Word Distributors v Human Rights Action Group (Wellington) [2000] NZCA 179; [2000] 3 NZLR 570 (CA) at paragraph 41.
30 Andrew Butler and Petra Butler New Zealand Bill of Rights Act: A commentary 2nd ed (Wellington, LexisNexis, 2015) at paragraphs 6.6.25 and 6.6.34.
31 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraphs 33–37.
32 Brooker v Police [2007] NZSC 30, [2007] 3 NZLR 91.
33 Brooker v Police, footnote 32 above at paragraph 40.
Chapter 2: Hate crime
The current law
... enduring ... characteristic such as race, colour, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability ... .
We discuss the rationale and application of this provision in more detail below.
a) offensive behaviour (section 4(1)(a));b) addressing words to someone intending to threaten, alarm, insult or offend that person (section 4(1)(b)); or
c) using threatening or insulting words recklessly as to whether someone is alarmed or insulted (section 4(1)(c)).
behaviour includes the hate motivation, the conviction for offensive behaviour would not capture the full seriousness of the offender’s conduct. In addition, it would not mark a possible need for tailored interventions following conviction.
Rationale for, and application of, section 9(1)(h) of the Sentencing Act 2002
9 Aggravating and mitigating factors
(1) In sentencing or otherwise dealing with an offender the court must take into account the following aggravating factors to the extent that they are applicable in the case:...
(h) that the offender committed the offence partly or wholly because of hostility towards a group of persons who have an enduring common characteristic such as race, colour, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability; and
(i) the hostility is because of the common characteristic; and
(ii) the offender believed that the victim has that characteristic:
(ii)
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Offenders who commit hate crimes need to be punished/dissuaded further, as prejudice presents a long-term threat. A focus on hate crimes has the effect of both denouncing them and encouraging awareness of their existence. It is very important that [New Zealand] Police in particular understand when an offence may have been a hate crime. Most of us recommend that [New Zealand] Police be trained and equipped to monitor, recognise and deal with hate crimes.
Most of us agree that hate crimes represent the point at which we want the law to say “we simply will not tolerate this kind of behaviour”. At this point, it is important for the court to send a real message on fundamental values. There is a different moral quality and a different risk to society which we should be reflecting.35
section 9(1)(h) of the Sentencing Act was not relevant to his case and that the sentencing judge had failed to take into account his right to freedom of expression under section 14 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. The Court rejected both arguments:a) Section 9(1)(h) of the Sentencing Act clearly applied to Philip Arps. His offending was in response to terrorist attacks on people worshipping in Masjid an-Nur and the Linwood Islamic Centre who had been targeted because of their religion and he had demonstrated “profound hostility towards Muslim people”.37
34 Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill (select committee report) at pages 11–13. Because section 9(1)(h) was added to the Bill at the select committee stage, the section was never the subject of a report by the Attorney-General under section 7 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
35 Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill (select committee report) at page 12.
36 Arps v New Zealand Police [2019] NZCA 592, [2020] 2 NZLR 94. See also Solicitor-General v Milne [2020] NZCA 134.
37 Arps v New Zealand Police, footnote 36 above at paragraph 32.
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b) Although Philip Arps’ actions in distributing the video engaged the right to freedom of speech under section 14 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, section 9(1)(h) was a justified limitation on his right to freedom of expression.38
An existing model for the creation of hate crime offences
racially or religiously aggravated assaults,39 criminal damage,40 public order offences41 and harassment.42 These are fleshed out by section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom), which provides:
28 Meaning of “racially or religiously aggravated”
An offence is racially or religiously aggravated for the purposes of sections 29 to 32 below if—
(a) at the time of committing the offence, or immediately before or after doing so, the offender demonstrates towards the victim of the offence hostility based on the victim’s membership (or presumed membership) of a [racial or religious group]; or
What Public sector agencies knew about the terrorist
the offence is motivated (wholly or partly) by hostility towards members of a racial or religious group based on their membership of that group.
(2) In subsection (1)(a) above—
“membership”, in relation to a racial or religious group, includes association with members of that group;“presumed” means presumed by the offender.
(3) It is immaterial for the purposes of paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) above whether or not the offender’s hostility is also based, to any extent, on any other factor not mentioned in that paragraph.
(4) In this section “racial group” means a group of persons defined by reference to race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins.
(5) In this section “religious group” means a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief.
38 Arps v New Zealand Police, footnote 36 above at paragraph 52.
39 Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (United Kingdom), section 29.
40 Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom), section 30.
41 Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom), section 31.
42 Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom), section 32.
a) Racially or religiously aggravated assault – seven years’ imprisonment.44b) Racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage – 14 years’ imprisonment.45
c) Racially or religiously aggravated public order offences – two years’ imprisonment.46
d) Racially or religiously aggravated harassment – two years’ imprisonment.47
a) Assault – five years’ imprisonment.b) Criminal damage – ten years’ imprisonment.
c) Public order offences – six months’ imprisonment.
d) Harassment – six months’ imprisonment.
Proposals for change
a) It ensures that the criminal records of those who are convicted of such behaviour reflect the substance of their offending, a consequence that is likely to have at least some deterrent effects and, perhaps more significantly, effects on societal norms.48
43 The penalties differ depending on whether the offence in question is tried indictably or summarily. For present purposes, it is sufficient to set out that the figures represent the maximum possible penalty associated with each offence.
44 See section 29 of the Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom). This figure represents a racially or religiously aggravated assault where the underlying offence is malicious wounding or grievous bodily harm or actual bodily harm and the charge is tried indictably. The penalty will differ where, for example, the assault charged is common assault and it is tried summarily.
45 Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom), section 30.
46 Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom), section 31.
47 Crime and Disorder Act (United Kingdom), section 32.
48 As noted by John Ip, footnote 4 above at page 595, in the context of section 9(1)(h) of the Sentencing Act, it is plausible to assume that hate crime legislation may deter some offenders and, additionally, the uncertainty as to whether criminals will actually be deterred does not affect the “symbolic or denunciatory value of hate crime legislation”.
b) The increased seriousness of the charge is likely to promote more complaints being made to New Zealand Police and more energetic responses on the part of New Zealand Police to such reporting, including an increase in prosecutions for hate crimes.
c) It may assist in encouraging and facilitating the creation of a specifically-designed rehabilitation programme for hate crime offenders.
a) hate-motivated offences for offensive behaviour and language, assault, wilful damage and intimidation that correspond with existing offences in the Summary Offences Act; andb) hate-motivated offences for assaults, arson and intentional damage that correspond with existing offences in the Crimes Act.
Chapter 3: Hate speech – sections 61 and 131 of Human Rights Act 1993
New Zealand’s international obligations
[D]eclare an offence punishable by law all dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, incitement to racial discrimination as well as all acts of violence or incitement to such acts against any race or group of persons of another colour or ethnic origins.49
States Parties condemn all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form, and
undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination and, to this end, with due regard to the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ... .
Article 19
(1) Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
(2) Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.
(3) The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:
(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;
(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.
49 United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 660 UNTS 195 (opened for signature 21 December 1965, entered into force 4 January 1969).
50 United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 999 UNTS 171 (opened for signature 16 December 1966, entered into force 23 March 1976).
Article 20
(1) Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law.
(2) Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law.
The Government of New Zealand, having legislated in the areas of the advocacy of national and racial hatred and the exciting of hostility or ill will against any group of persons, and having regard to the right of freedom of speech, reserves the right not to introduce further legislation with regard to article 20.
Legislative history of sections 61 and 131
(broadly along the lines of what is now section 61 of the Human Rights Act) was introduced in section 9A of the Race Relations Act by the Human Rights Commission Act 1977. Section 9A was repealed in 1989 but was in substance re-enacted as section 61 of the Human Rights Act.
The current law
61 Racial disharmony
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person—(a) to publish or distribute written matter which is threatening, abusive, or insulting, or to broadcast by means of radio or television or other electronic communication words which are threatening, abusive, or insulting; or
(b) to use in any public place as defined in section 2(1) of the Summary Offences Act 1981, or within the hearing of persons in any such public place, or at any meeting to which the public are invited or have access, words which are threatening, abusive, or insulting; or
(b)
(a) to use in any place words which are threatening, abusive, or insulting if the person using the words knew or ought to have known that the words were reasonably likely to be published in a newspaper, magazine, or periodical or broadcast by means of radio or television,—
being matter or words likely to excite hostility against or bring into contempt any group of persons in or who may be coming to New Zealand on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins of that group of persons.
(2) It shall not be a breach of subsection (1) to publish in a newspaper, magazine, or periodical or broadcast by means of radio or television or other electronic
communication a report relating to the publication or distribution of matter by any person or the broadcast or use of words by any person, if the report of the matter or words accurately conveys the intention of the person who published or distributed the matter or broadcast or used the words.
(3) For the purposes of this section,—
newspaper means a paper containing public news or observations on public news, or consisting wholly or mainly of advertisements, being a newspaper that is published periodically at intervals not exceeding 3 monthspublishes or distributes means publishes or distributes to the public at large or to any member or members of the public
written matter includes any writing, sign, visible representation, or sound recording.
131 Inciting racial disharmony
(1) Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $7,000 who, with intent to excite hostility or ill-will against, or bring into contempt or ridicule, any group of persons in New Zealand on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins of that group of persons,—(a) publishes or distributes written matter which is threatening, abusive, or insulting, or broadcasts by means of radio or television words which are threatening, abusive, or insulting; or
(b) uses in any public place (as defined in section 2(1) of the Summary Offences Act 1981), or within the hearing of persons in any such public place, or at any meeting to which the public are invited or have access, words which are threatening, abusive, or insulting,—
(b)
being matter or words likely to excite hostility or ill-will against, or bring into contempt or ridicule, any such group of persons in New Zealand on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins of that group of persons.
(2) For the purposes of this section, publishes or distributes and written matter have the meaning given to them in section 61.
a) Section 61 uses the expression “excite hostility against or bring into contempt any group of persons” whereas the corresponding language in section 131 is “excite hostility or
ill-will against, or bring into contempt or ridicule, any group of persons”. The reasons for not including “ill-will” and “ridicule” in section 61 apply equally to section 131. Their inclusion in the latter section must be a drafting slip.b) Section 61(1)(a) was amended in 2015 to add “or other electronic communication” but a corresponding change was not made to the otherwise substantially similar
section 131(1)(a). Possibly this omission is picked up by the reference back to section 61 in section 131(2), but this is far from clear.
Sections 61 and 131 in the courts
51 See Human Rights Commission Kōrero Whakamauāhara: Hate Speech – An overview of the current legal framework (December 2019) at page 13.
Distressing Content
on Japan”.53 There was also a suggestion that Chinese people would find it easier to pull a rickshaw in Christchurch because of the flat terrain.54 The section 61 claim was upheld. The Complaints Review Tribunal (now called the Human Rights Review Tribunal) held that the “ordinary sensible citizen” would have found parts of the broadcast to be insulting or abusive of Japanese people because it relied “on a racial stereotype of the Japanese” and was threatening because it contained “the threat to remove them from New Zealand”.55Additionally, it also held that the “ordinary sensible citizen” would have found the broadcast to be insulting to Chinese people as relying “on a racial stereotype of the Chinese as dependent on rickshaws”.56 As well, the broadcast was likely to excite hostility against or bring into contempt Japanese and Chinese people.
a) Cases under section 61 of the Human Rights Act are not conflict of rights cases. In other words, the only right engaged when a case under section 61 is brought is the defendant’s right to freedom of speech.59
52 Proceedings Commissioner v Archer, [1996] NZCRT 16; (1996) 3 HRNZ 123 (CRT).
b) Liability under section 61 requires conclusions that the conduct:
- is “threatening, abusive, or insulting”; and
- is likely to excite hostility against, or bring into contempt, a group of persons on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins of that group.
d) “[T]he legislative mandate is to consider the effect of the words ... on others outside the group depicted”.61 The focus of the provision, said the High Court, is on exposure of the protected group to hatred, not immunity from self-hatred (or, by implication, insult).e) Liability depends on whether “a reasonable person, aware of the context and circumstances surrounding the expression, would view it as likely to expose the protected group to the identified consequences”.62
f) Any assessment of the effects of a publication must be made by reference to context and circumstances.63
g) The reference to “likely” in section 61 means a “real and substantial risk that the stated consequence will happen”.64
h) The section 61 prohibition “applies only to relatively egregious examples of expression which inspire enmity, extreme ill-will or are likely to result in the group being despised”.65
j) The relevant inquiry is whether susceptible or persuadable people would be likely to become hostile or contemptuous (or possibly more hostile or contemptuous) as a result of the conduct in question.68
60 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 46–49.
61 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 50.
62 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 51.
63 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 59.
64 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 61.
65 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 56.
66 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 78.
67 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 74.
68 Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, footnote 6 above at paragraph 63. The judgment of the High Court in Wall was approved of by Paul Rishworth. He noted that the decision “provides welcome clarity that the approach which the Human Rights Commission has been taking to section 61 for some years is correct”. See Paul Rishworth “Human Rights” [2018] NZLR 543 at page 570.
One side of the page portrayed Jesus Christ flanked by Adolph Hitler and featured a quote from chapter 8, verse 44 of St John (an alleged condemnation by Jesus of the Jews: “Ye are of your father the devil ...”), a quote from Mein Kampf Part 1 chapter 2 (“...by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord”), and the words “National Socialist Movement” and “For Race and Nation”. On the obverse side was a photo of a dozen or more Nazis with helmets and swastika armbands and language which urged
interested people to support the movement: “Study Our Alternative! Help Build A New Order! Our Fight Is Your Fight! Join Us! Write today!”.71
... it is a segment of the population distinguished from others by a sufficient combination of shared customs, beliefs, traditions and characteristics derived from a common or presumed common past, even if not drawn from what in biological terms is a common racial stock.75
Applying that interpretation, the Court concluded that “Jews in New Zealand” form a group with common ethnic origins within the meaning of the section.
69 The charge was laid under section 25 of the Race Relations Act 1971 which, as we noted above, was in the same terms as section 131.
70 King-Ansell v Police [1979] 2 NZLR 531 (CA).
71 See Bill Hodge “Civil Liberties in New Zealand: Defending Our Enemies” (1980) 4 Otago Law Review at page 464.
72 King-Ansell v Police, footnote 70 above at page 533.
73 King-Ansell v Police, footnote 70 above at page 541 per Richardson J.
74 King-Ansell v Police, footnote 70 above at page 533 per Richmond P.
75 King-Ansell v Police, footnote 70 above at page 543.
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A case study
PART 6
Part 4: The terrorist in Ko tō tātou kāinga tēnei: Report of the Royal Commission into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Masjidain on 15 March 2019). The focus of the discussion was on Mein Kampf and, in particular, Hitler’s suggestion that grievance should be the focus of propaganda, “galvanising” those who see themselves as persecuted and “drawing in new sympathisers”. The individual commented:
Agreed, it is far better to be the oppressed than the oppressor, the defender rather than the attacker and the political victim rather than the political attacker. Though 1920’s Germany was a very different time to now and we face a very different enemy. Our greatest threat
What Public sector agencies knew about the terrorist
is the non-violent, high [fertility], high social cohesion immigrants. They will boil the frog slowly and by the time our people have enough galvanising force to commit to the political and social change necessary for survival, the demographics in my opinion will have shifted so harshly that we would likely never recover.
...
What I am saying is that we can’t be a violent group, not now. But without violence I am not certain that there will be any victory possible at all.
76 Mandla v Dowell Lee [1982] UKHL 7; [1983] 2 AC 548 (HL).
77 Section 1 of the Race Relations Act 1976 (United Kingdom).
78 For cases, see Nyazi v Rymans [1988] unreported EAT/6/88 (United Kingdom); Tariq v Young Birmingham IT, 19 April 1989 (unreported); CRE v Precision Manufacturing Services Ltd Case No 4106/91; J H Walker Ltd v Hussain [1996] IRLR 11. For academic commentary, see Ivan Hare “Crosses, Crescents and Sacred Cows: Criminalising Incitement to Religious Hatred” (2006) Public Law at page 525; Kay Goodall “Incitement to Religious Hatred: All Talk and No Substance?” (2007) 70 Modern Law Review at page 93; Neil Addison Religious Discrimination and Hatred Law (Routledge, London, 2007) at page 28; Maleiha Malik “Extreme Speech and Liberalism” in Ivan Hare and James Weinstein Extreme Speech and Democracy (Oxford University Press,
Oxford, 2009) at page 100. The position was also reinforced during the parliamentary process in the United Kingdom which led to the enactment of, amongst other things, stirring up hatred on religious grounds. See House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences in England and Wales (HL Paper 95–I, April 2003) at paragraph 15; Richard Kelly The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill (Research Paper 05/48, 16 June 2005) at pages 3, 7, 12–13 and 31. However, in K S Dobe and S S Chhokar “Muslims, ethnicity and the law” (2000) 4 International Journal of Discrimination and the Law it is argued that the criteria established
in Mandla v Dowell Lee, footnote 76 above, are sufficiently broad to recognise British Muslims as a distinct “ethnic group” if interpreted in a purposive manner.
Distressing Content
Great Replacement theory. There was thus no need for the individual to spell these points out explicitly. What would not have been obvious to those in the discussion was that the last part of the comment was disingenuous because, by February 2018, the individual was already preparing for his terrorist attack. In light of this, it is clear that the purpose of thecomment was not to share what the individual was really thinking, but rather to normalise, to a reasonably receptive audience, the idea that violence was inevitable if “victory” was to be “possible”.
obviously unsound. Immigration policy, the desirability or otherwise of a national population policy and demographic changes are all legitimate matters for public debate. If a particular policy decision (either macro in terms of government policy, for instance a particular foreign policy stance, or micro in terms of who may use a public facility such as a town hall for a speech) may result in social disorder or violent opposition, it must be legitimate, at least for third parties, to point that out. What is unacceptable is to call for violence.
Could the individual have been prosecuted under section 131 of the Human Rights Act in respect of his comments?
a) It would be open to debate, at least, whether the post was “written matter” so as to engage section 131(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act, which was not drafted with the internet in mind.
79 A New Zealand court probably would claim jurisdiction. See R v Shepherd and Whittle [2010] EWCA Crim 65, [2010] 1 WLR 2779; and R v Burns [2017] EWCA Crim 1466, which involved broadly comparable situations. But there would remain an issue whether the post, published as it was to a Facebook page associated with an Australian group, could be said to relate to “any group of persons in New Zealand” as required by section 131.
b) Although the language used was not “insulting” or “abusive” and not threatening in the sense of making an explicit threat to any of those likely to be exposed to the comment, it was “threatening” in the sense of being an implicit call to those reading the post to consider using violence against Muslim immigrants.
c) Although it might be thought reasonably clear that the comment was likely to “excite hostility” towards Muslim immigrants, the Wall approach of looking at the audience poses some difficulties as the readers of the comment (members of a private discussion board on The Lads Society Season Two Facebook page) were presumably already hostile to Muslim immigrants. On the Wall approach (under which making the already hostile even more hostile is seen as only “possibly” enough to trigger liability), it is open to doubt, at least, whether preaching a hateful message to the probably already converted is an offence.
d) The preponderance of legal opinion is that adherence to Islam is not within the protection of section 131 as religion is not itself a protected characteristic and Islamophobia targets followers of Islam, not those who share protected characteristics of “race, colour or ethnic or national origin”.
e) Given that immigration and demographic change are legitimate subjects for public debate, substantial allowance for freedom of expression would have to be made. How that would have played out in a prosecution under section 131 is hard to predict.
Proposals for change
Sharpening the focus of the offence
“to stir up, maintain or normalise hatred”.
ill-will against, or bring into contempt or ridicule”. A modified section 131 would be far more straight-forward to apply if “hostility”, “ill-will”, “contempt” and “ridicule” were replaced by “hatred” as it implies extreme dislike or disgust, including an emotional aversion. If the offence was reframed in this way, it would not be subject to restrictive and imprecise interpretations by the courts (such as “relatively egregious”) and could be more easily relied on in appropriate cases.
a) Reformulated as we suggest, the offence would be more narrowly expressed than the current section 131.b) The language of hatred and calls for violence that we propose would catch only extreme speech. We do not see the reframed offence as engaged by microaggressions, and
so on. Nor would it be a mechanism for criminalising the vigorous expression of opinion on controversial issues, such as gender identity or immigration. The limits of the reframed offence would be reinforced if, at the same time, amendments were made as we propose to the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act (see chapter 4).These amendments would be a signal as to what would not be within the scope of the reframed offence.
a) a publication that is “threatening, abusive, or insulting”;b) an intent to “excite hostility or ill-will against, or bring into contempt or ridicule” people on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins of that group of people; and
c) that the publication was “likely to excite hostility or ill-will against, or bring into contempt or ridicule” people on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins of that group of people.
Protected characteristics
80 Law Commission (United Kingdom), footnote 1 above at paragraph 2.28.
a) Religions compete with each other to convert new adherents and retain existing adherents.b) Religions make competing and often incompatible claims about divinity, the origins of the universe, the components of a good life and the existence and nature of an after-life.
c) Religious groups make influential contributions to public debate on matters of profound controversy, including abortion and euthanasia.
a) under section 9(1)(h) of the Sentencing Act, “religion” is a protected characteristic and there is similar recognition in other laws addressing hate speech which we review in the next chapter of this companion paper;b) similar legislative provisions have been amended in other jurisdictions to include religion as a protected characteristic;83
c) it would bring New Zealand into compliance with article 20(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which we have set out earlier in this companion paper;
d) it is not logical that affiliation with Judaism and Sikhism are protected characteristics but affiliation with other religions such as Islam or Christianity are not;
e) the very clear overlap between Islamophobia and racism (in that many victims of Islamophobic harassment are people of colour); and
f) most significantly, the current realities of Islamophobia and the link between hate speech and terrorism.
81 Ivan Hare, footnote 78 above at paragraph 534.
82 Ivan Hare, footnote 78 above at paragraph 534.
83 See, for example, New South Wales (Crimes Act 1900 (New South Wales), section 93Z); Victoria (Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Victoria), sections 7–8 and 24–5); Queensland (Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Queensland) sections 124A and 131A); Northern Ireland (Public Order (Northern Ireland) Act 1987, section 8); and Ireland (Prohibition of Incitement to Racial Hatred Act 1989, section 1). In England and Wales there is an offence of stirring up racial hatred under section 29B of the Public Order Act (United Kingdom).
Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which prohibits or restricts discussion, criticism or expressions of antipathy, dislike, ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of its adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different religion or belief system to cease practising their religion or belief system.
Types of publication covered
The location of section 131 and the current maximum penalty
prosecution and conviction. In contrast, offences similar to section 131 carry a maximum term of imprisonment of seven years in the United Kingdom85 and a maximum term of imprisonment of two years in Canada.86
84 The offence of stirring up religious hatred is confined to language that is “threatening” rather than “threatening, abusive or insulting” (as is the case with section 131 of the Human Rights Act and its United Kingdom equivalent in respect of racial hatred).
85 See sections 18–23 and sections 29B–29G of the Public Order Act 1986 (United Kingdom).
86 See section 319.1 of the Canadian Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46.
87 See the remarks of Elias CJ in Morse v Police [2011] NZSC 45, [2012] 2 NZLR 1 at paragraph 13.
What a new offence might look like
Inciting racial or religious disharmony
Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years who:(a) with intent to stir up, maintain or normalise hatred against any group of persons in New Zealand on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins or religion of that group of persons; and
(b) says or otherwise publishes or communicates, any words or material that explicitly or implicitly call for violence against or is otherwise, threatening, abusive, or insulting to such group of persons.
(b)
Chapter 4: Other laws addressing hate speech
Preliminary comments
a) the Summary Offences Act 1981;b) the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015;
c) the Broadcasting Act 1989;
d) the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993: the current law; and
e) the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993: proposals for change.
Summary Offences Act 1981
a) In 2014 a woman was found guilty (although discharged without conviction) of using offensive language after she told a taxi driver to:
F**k off to India. You come here and get all the Kiwi jobs - eat your f**king curry and f**k off to India. This is a Kiwi job.89
88 As was the case in Brooker v Police, footnote 32 above, where the appellant was of the view that he had been unlawfully treated by a constable. Knowing that she had been on night duty, he went to her home in the morning and knocked on her door for some three minutes. Eventually, she opened it and told him to leave. He then retreated to a grass verge on the road outside her house and began to protest. He displayed a sign saying, “No more bogus warrants” and, accompanied by a guitar, began to singing songs addressed to the constable and referring to her by her first name. Some fifteen minutes after he arrived at the constable’s house, police officers arrived. They told him that if he did not leave he would be arrested for intimidation. He would not do so and was arrested. At the hearing, the charge was amended to one of disorderly behaviour.
89 “Queenstown cop avoids conviction over abuse” (15 October 2014) Otago Daily Times
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown-lakes/queenstown-cop-avoids-conviction-over-abuse.
Distressing Content
b) In 2015, a man was charged with offensive and threatening language after calling two men on a bus “Islam c***s” and accusing them of “shooting innocent people”.90
c) In 2019 a man was charged with, and later pleaded guilty to, disorderly behaviour the day after the 15 March 2019 terrorist attack, shouting “f**k the Muslims” and later saying:
Muslims are not welcome in our country. Go home Muslims.91
online even where the post is clearly directed at another individual or group and is visible to other people who are online.
PART 6
Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015
What Public sector agencies knew about the terrorist
posting the communication would cause harm to an ordinary reasonable person in the position of the victim; and
b) posting the communication causes harm to the victim.
90 “Racist rant: ‘Sympathy’ for abuser” (30 March 2015) New Zealand Herald https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/racist-rant-sympathy-for-abuser/C5PYDLW5YIWLS2NSQTDLHAY4WY/.
91 Rob Kidd “Student sentenced for anti-Muslim slurs” (8 June 2019) Otago Daily Times
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/student-sentenced-anti-muslim-slurs.
92 Summary Offences Act 1981, section 2.
93 Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, section 22.
94 Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, section 22(4).
95 Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, section 4.
96 Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, section 4 and R v Partha Iyer [2016] NZDC 23957.
97 Law Commission Harmful Digital Communications: The adequacy of the current sanctions and remedies (NZLC MB3, 2012) at page 7.
An IP address provider can be required to identify the persons responsible for such communications.99 The criteria that the court must have regard to in making an order are provided, in reasonably general terms, in section 19(5). Particularly relevant are the content of the communication and the level of harm caused or likely to be caused.
A digital communication should not denigrate an individual by reason of his or her colour, race, ethnic or national origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
Broadcasting Act 1989
a) the observance of good taste and decency;b) the maintenance of law and order; and
c) the principle that controversial issues of public importance are discussed in a balanced way.
belief” and “race”.
98 Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, section 19(2).
99 Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, section 19(3).
Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993: the current law
to be in possession of an objectionable publication.100 It is an offence, punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years, to be in possession of a publication that the person knows (or has reasonable cause to believe) is objectionable.101 There are also distribution offences.
as objectionable.103 Illustrating this, there is a decision of the Court of Appeal in which a publication that protested against homosexuality was not classified as objectionable as denigration, by itself, was insufficient to amount to violence or cruelty.104
or extreme cruelty”. Second, a publication can be classified as objectionable on the basis of factors and criteria set out in section 3(3) and (4) of the Act.
(3) In determining, for the purposes of this Act, whether or not any publication (other than a publication to which subsection (2) applies) is objectionable or should in accordance with section 23(2) be given a classification other than objectionable, particular weight shall be given to the extent and degree to which, and the manner in which, the publication—(a) describes, depicts, or otherwise deals with—(i) acts of torture, the infliction of serious physical harm, or acts of significant cruelty:(i)
100Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, section 131. 101 Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, section 131A. 102 Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, section 3(1).
103 Moonen v Film & Literature Board of Review [1999] NZCA 329; [2000] 2 NZLR 9 (CA) at paragraphs 4–5; Living Word Distributors v Human Rights Action Group (Wellington), footnote 29 above at paragraphs 24–34.
104 Living Word Distributors v Human Rights Action Group (Wellington), footnote 29 above.
(ii) sexual violence or sexual coercion, or violence or coercion in association with sexual conduct:
(iii) other sexual or physical conduct of a degrading or dehumanising or demeaning nature:
(iv) sexual conduct with or by children, or young persons, or both:
(v) physical conduct in which sexual satisfaction is derived from inflicting or suffering cruelty or pain:
(b) exploits the nudity of children, or young persons, or both:
(c) degrades or dehumanises or demeans any person:
(d) promotes or encourages criminal acts or acts of terrorism:
(e) represents (whether directly or by implication) that members of any particular class of the public are inherently inferior to other members of the public by reason of any characteristic of members of that class, being a characteristic that is a prohibited ground of discrimination specified in section 21(1) of the Human Rights Act 1993.
(4) In determining, for the purposes of this Act, whether or not any publication (other than a publication to which subsection (2) applies) is objectionable or should in accordance with section 23(2) be given a classification other than objectionable, the following matters shall also be considered:
(a) the dominant effect of the publication as a whole:(b) the impact of the medium in which the publication is presented:
(c) the character of the publication, including any merit, value, or importance that the publication has in relation to literary, artistic, social, cultural, educational, scientific, or other matters:
(d) the persons, classes of persons, or age groups of the persons to whom the publication is intended or is likely to be made available:
(e) the purpose for which the publication is intended to be used:
(f) any other relevant circumstances relating to the intended or likely use of the publication.
Al Qaeda and Dā’ish-inspired propaganda105 and, shortly after the 15 March 2019 terrorist attack, the individual’s “manifesto” and the livestream of his terrorist attack were classified as objectionable.106
Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993: proposals for change
one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form”. In doing so, New Zealand has promised to “adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination”.We think attempts at compliance involving the creation of offences that incorporate wording similar to, or based on, article 4 may give rise to legitimate freedom of expression arguments. We do, however, see some scope for compliance to be achieved, at least substantially, with amendments to the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act.
105 See, for example, Patel v R [2017] NZCA 234 at paragraph 9; R v Nawarajan [2016] NZDC 11469 at paragraph 10.
106 See Office of Film and Literature Classification Christchurch shooting video officially objectionable (20 March 2019) https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/news/latest-news/christchurch-attacks-press-releases/#christchurch-shooting-video- officially-objectionable; Decision of Film and Literature Board of Review In the matter of an application under section 47(2)(e) by the Kiwi Party (Incorporated) for a review of the publication titled: The Great Replacement (12 August 2019).
107 See Living Word Distributors v Human Rights Action Group (Wellington) footnote 29 above; Wall v Fairfax New Zealand Ltd,
footnote 6 above.
Chapter 5: Concluding comments
a) hate-motivated offences for offensive behaviour and language, assault, wilful damage and intimidation that correspond with existing offences in the Summary Offences Act; andb) hate-motivated offences for assault, arson and intentional damage that correspond with existing offences in the Crimes Act.
a) sharpening the focus of the statutory language;b) adding religion to the list of protected characteristics;
c) including electronic communications in the types of publication covered;
d) including the offence in the Crimes Act rather than the Human Rights Act 1993;
e) increasing the maximum penalty from three months’ imprisonment to up to three years’ imprisonment; and
f) adding “racial superiority, racial hatred and racial discrimination” to the list of grounds for classifying a publication as objectionable under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993.
Glossary
Term Definition
An Islamist extremist
terrorist organisation, which was responsible for the 11 September 2001
terrorist attacks on the United States
of America.
Al Qaeda
civil liability Legal responsibility for breaching an obligation
recognised
Legal responsibility for committing an offence prohibited by
law.
criminal liability
by law.Dā’ish The Arabic acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). An Islamist extremist terrorist organisation.
hijab A head covering worn in public by some Muslim women.
Internet Protocol address (IP address)
A unique number linked to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
Māori The indigenous population of New Zealand.
Masjid an-Nur An Arabic term for the an-Nur Mosque.
masjid An Arabic term for a mosque, the Muslim place of worship. In Arabic, masjid literally translates to “place of prostration (in prayer)”.
social cohesion
Pasifika A collective term for people of Pacific Island descent.
Our symbol is inspired by an enduring and perpetual Aotearoa New Zealand icon, the koru.
The unfurling fern frond is representative of peace, tranquillity, growth, positive change and awakening. This dimension of peace is alsoinherent in the meaning of the living faith of Islam. We draw parallels between this taonga and the journey that New Zealanders have ahead of them to become a safer and more inclusive society.
The koru design with seven groups of seven unfurling fronds also acknowledges that 15 March 2019 was, according to the Islamic
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lunar calendar, 7 Rajab 1440, that is, the 7th day of the 7th Islamic month.
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