Law Commission Hate Crime Recommendations

That the Parliament notes the Law Commission publication, Hate Crime Laws: Final Report, which concludes the Commission's review of hate crime and hate speech laws in England and Wales, and sets out consultation responses alongside the Commission's final recommendations; further notes the Commission's conclusion that the hate crime framework in England and Wales should not be adapted to include violence against women and girls, and the recommendation that sex or gender should not be added as a protected characteristic for the purposes of aggravated offences and enhanced sentencing; acknowledges the Commission's recommendation that, instead, the UK Government should undertake a review of the need for a specific offence of public sexual harassment, and what form any such offence should take; recognises the complexities surrounding these discussions, but considers that the Scottish Government must ensure the safety of women and girls in Scotland, and believes that Scotland could be a world leader in doing so; acknowledges what it sees as the pervasive daily issue of violence against women and girls; considers that public safety and protection should be made a priority of the utmost importance, and calls for actions to be taken in Scotland to address this, and looks forward to the forthcoming recommendations of the Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland Working Group.