Guides Related to Hate Crime

The purpose of this Guide is to provide OSCE participating States with benchmarks for drafting hate crime legislation within a simple, clear and accessible document. While good practices are highlighted and risks identified, a prescriptive approach has been avoided. Hate crimes are specific to their social context, and legislation must recognize this. The Guide assists states wishing either to enact new legislation or to review and improve their current legislation by setting out the major questions to be addressed by legislators; giving examples of drafting choices made by different states; commenting on the implications of different approaches; making recommendations concerning specific aspects of hate crime law, and offering a list of further resources to supplement the information provided.

This Guide advances the fulfilment of the OSCE commitments to assist hate crime victims. Developed in consultation with civil society and government experts, and based on good practice identified across the region, the Guide responds to a need in many OSCE participating States, where victims of hate crime often do not receive adequate protection and support. It addresses gaps in integrating assistance efforts with criminal justice processes and is designed primarily for hate crime victim support practitioners, criminal justice officials and policymakers responsible for developing and maintaining victim support systems. It provides practical recommendations on adapting procedures, policies and laws, while taking into account the realities and complexities of criminal justice and victim support systems.

This Guide on Addressing Hate Crime at the Regional Level was developed as part of a project implemented by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to build a comprehensive criminal justice response to hate crime.