Hate Crimes and Hate Speech: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Dignity is a precious asset that not only identifies us as free and equal human beings, but also allows us to live together in society. In fact, human dignity, together with the inviolable rights that are inherent to it, is an essential aspect of human civilization. For this reason, acts based on discrimination on various grounds (race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, social category or disadvantaged group, disability, political opinion or any other grounds) have taken on a new approach as hate crimes. The future will decide and demonstrate whether there is a need for separate criminalization, with its own nomen juris, of these offences or if the regulation provided by the states to date is sufficient, given that it is eclectic. The paper examines the legal landscape regarding hate crimes and hate speech in the European context, emphasizing the importance of a coordinated effort in hate crime prevention.