Inciting Racial Hate in NSW to be Criminalised Under New Law

NSW’s tough stance on hate speech faces backlash, with fears it may infringe on protest rights. The bill is to be introduced in the Parliament today.

New South Wales police officers stand near members of the Australian Jewish community at a memorial service at Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia on Sept. 2, 2024. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

The NSW government is set to introduce the legislation aimed at confronting hate speech and anti-Semitism in Parliament on Feb. 18.

The Crimes Amendment (Inciting Racial Hatred) Bill 2025 will criminalise the act of publicly inciting hatred based on race, introducing a new section, 93ZAA, to the Crimes Act 1900.