Hate Crime Legislation and Incitement to Hatred and Violence

• Jurisdiction: European Union
• Year: 2021
• Author: Murtaza Shaikh

Speaker

Dr. Shaikh specialises in online hate speech, minority rights and social media content regulation and moderation. He is Senior Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues and is helping develop ‘Effective Guidelines on Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities’. He is also Co-Director of Averroes, a British Muslim policy think tank, and is finalising a publication on ‘Incitement to Religious Hatred and Islamophobia under UK Law and International Law’ (Brill, Nijhoff). Currently he is focusing on regulatory approaches to online user-generated content, in particular the UK Online Harms Bill and Facebook’s new Oversight Board.

His expert insights have been relied on by the late Jo Cox MP, Home Affairs Committee, Government Departments, Law Commission and international human rights mechanisms at the UN and Council of Europe. Previously he advised the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the incitement to religious hatred under international law, assisted in conflict prevention at the Initiative on Quiet Diplomacy and litigated cases with NGOs at the European Court of Human Rights.

He holds a PhD from SOAS on the ‘Protection of Religious Minorities under International Law and Islamic Law’ and an LLM from Essex University in International Human Rights Law.

Topic

In this presentation, Murtaza Shaikh delves into the intricate realm of incitement to hatred, discrimination, and violence, focusing particularly on its delineation within Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Throughout the presentation, Shaikh skillfully explores the multifaceted dimensions of this issue, shedding light on how it can be effectively interpreted and subsequently transposed into comprehensive hate crime legislation at the national level.

Shaikh's presentation serves as a compelling exposition, dissecting the specific legal framework outlined in Article 20 ICCPR. He elucidates the nuances of incitement to hatred, discrimination, and violence, emphasizing the imperative role it plays in upholding civil liberties and promoting societal harmony. By meticulously analyzing the provisions of the ICCPR, Shaikh...