Communities and Justice

New law against racial hatred in your language

In NSW, it is now a crime to intentionally incite hatred against people because of their race.  Race includes things like colour, nationality, ethnicity, descent, or ethno-religious background.

From 15 August 2025, if a person publicly says or does something that encourages others to hate a person or group based on race, and it is done on purpose, they will face serious penalties. These include fines or even jail time.

This law does not make it illegal to talk about or quote religious texts during religious teaching or discussions. People can still share and discuss their beliefs freely, as long as it's not meant to cause hate.

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