Hate crime law consultation: easy read version

Section 2. Words we use in this paper

Consultation
These questions are sometimes called a 'Consultation'. Consultation is when someone asks for views and thoughts on something from a large number of people.

Legislation
This is another word for the law, or a set of laws.

Aggravated
This is when someone does something wrong, but did it out of hatred of a person because of their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Crime
When someone breaks a law.

Criminalise
This is when someone makes behaviours and activities crimes because they are no longer considered acceptable.

Hate
Hate is an emotion. Hate can make you feel angry towards a person or group of people.

Hate Crime
When someone becomes the victim of a crime because of who they are.

Prejudice
This is when someone thinks something negative about a person or group which is not based on facts and leads to dislike or hatred of that person or group.

Protected characteristics
Characteristics describe us as people. For example, our ethnic background, religion or if we have a disability.

Protected characteristics are characteristics that are considered to make people more vulnerable and therefore people with those characteristics have extra protection in law.

Currently these are:

• Race
• Religion
• Disability
• Sexual orientation
• Transgender identity

Race
This describes someone's ethnic background, colour, nationality or country they come from.

Religion
This is where people believe in a higher power, like a God.

Disability
A physical or mental condition that limits a person's abilities.

Sexual orientation
The type of person that someone is sexually attracted to.

Heterosexual is where you like someone of the opposite sex.

Homosexual is where you like someone of the same sex.

Transgender identity
When someone identifies and lives as a different gender to the one they were born as. This could include a person who was born as a man but identifies and lives as a woman, or a person who was born as a woman but identifies and lives as a man.

Intersex
Intersex people have diverse body development. This means their body has developed differently to other people. They can be male, female or non-binary.

Sentence
The punishment for a crime. For example, how long a person goes to prison for or the fine that they receive.

Statutory aggravations
When a person has committed another offence (such as assault or breach of the peace), but was motivated to commit the offence because of hate or prejudice against particular individuals or groups.

Victim
The person who the crime is against.