Jennifer Schweppe

Introduction Understanding Hate Crime: Research, Policy, and Practice

In 2013, a group of scholars from Europe and North America came together to form the International Network for Hate Studies (INHS). The key aims of the network included bridging gaps between academics and policy makers/practitioners in the field, and “internationalizing” our understanding of hate crime generally. In the spring of 2014, INHS held its inaugural conference at the University of Sussex in Brighton, the United Kingdom. In this special edition of Criminal Justice Policy Review (CJPR), we bring together expanded versions of four of the keynote speeches from that conference. In distinct ways, each speaks to the key themes noted above, as this brief introduction will illustrate.

Peer observation: reflecting on a mirror of your teaching

This article recounts our experience of peer observation and reflects on the positive and negative aspects of that exercise. Our experience is then compared to that of other scholars in the field of teaching law and some guidelines are provided to assist in the use of peer observation as a reflective tool.

Towards an all-Island Approach to Hate Crime in Ireland

This edited collection emerged from an all-Island symposium on hate crime, organised by the Hate and Hostility Research Group and hosted by the University of Limerick in May 20141. The purpose of the day-long event was to bring together academics, activists and practitioners, working with and across a range of commonly targeted identity groups, with the aim of igniting a conversation about hate crime in Ireland. In the spirit of cross-platform dialogue, the symposium took the form of a series of ‘conversations’, each including both academics and practitioners, and thematically structured around key stakeholder groups. This volume emanates both from those structured conversations and the informal debates which they generated.

The Disappearing of Hate Crime in the Irish Criminal Justice Process

The Republic of Ireland is unique in Western democracies in not having legislation which targets the hate element of a crime (Perry 2001). There is no obligation upon the court to take either a bias motivation, or demonstration of bias, into account when determining the appropriate sanction to impose in a given case (Haynes and Schweppe 2016). The State has argued that, in spite of this absence, the criminal justice system in Ireland is adequate to addressing the hate element of crimes. This conclusion has been contested, in particular by civil society stakeholders who advocate for commonly targeted groups (Haynes et al. 2015, also see chapters in this volume). This chapter provides an evidentiary-based intervention in this debate, informed by extensive empirical research conducted by the authors in 2015.

Introduction: Mapping the Field of Hate Studies on the Island of Ireland

Hate Crime is a field of increasing concern in academic, activist and the policy domains (Chakraborti 2010). This first comprehensive critical account of hate crime in the Irish context provides a unique contribution to the field of hate studies and activism. The originality of this edited collection is underscored by three features of this book. Firstly, it brings insights from the Republic of Ireland, as the only jurisdiction without hate crime legislation in Western Europe. Secondly, it offers perspectives from the Northern Irish context enabling consideration of hate crime issues in a post-conflict society. Thirdly, and a defining feature of the book, the diversity of contributions achieves a balance between academics, activists, policy makers and practitioners.

LGB and T? The Specificity of Anti-Transgender Hate Crime

A community still in the process of achieving political visibility, trans people have been relatively neglected in hate crime research in comparison to other commonly targeted groups. What we do know about anti-transgender hate crime provides cause for significant concern. The growing body of research in this area finds that trans people are among those identity groups at most risk of hate crime victimisation, repeat victimisation and damaging long-term effects from hate crime victimisation. Often subsumed within the category of homophobic hate crime, or simply ignored, this chapter argues for the value of addressing anti-transgender hate crime as a category in its own right.

Hate crime: an overview of significance and relevance to Irish sociology:

The authors of this article had been working on the issue of hate crime from within frustrated disciplinary silos: from a sociological perspective, and from a legal perspective. In 2012, however, we began to discuss potential avenues for interdisciplinary research: tentative at first, and then with increasing energy and determination. In September 2014, the Hate and Hostility Research Group at the University of Limerick launched A Life Free From Fear – Legislating for Hate Crime in Ireland: An NGO Perspective. The Report presents the perspectives of civil society organisations who endeavour to challenge hate crime, and provides an analysis of the efficacy of Irish legislation in this area. The report received widespread media attention for the issue of hate crime and, at least in the short term, has been successful in placing it on the political agenda. This article will provide an overview of some key concerns relating to hate crime in an Irish context and conclude by raising the question of the relevance of this emergent field of research to Irish sociology.