Judges ordered to hand out harsher jail sentences for transphobic and homophobic hate crimes
It was revealed that transphobic and homophobic hate crimes have increased over the last year
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Judges have been ordered to hand out harsher jail sentences in a bid to crackdown on transgender and homophobic hate crimes.
In new figures from the UK Home Office transphobic hate crimes have risen by 37 per cent over the last year and homophobic hate crimes have also seen a dramatic increase over the last 12 months.
Now, offenders who have been found guilty of committing transphobic and homophobic hate crimes should receive at least six months in prison, under new sentencing guidelines, the Mail Online reported.
For those convicted of worst cases of intolerance against LGBTQ people should receive a six-year jail sentence.
The new guidelines – released by the statutory body that recommends punishment levels, the judge-led Sentencing Council – will now give harsher sentences for transgender hate offences over domestic burglaries.
Mr Justice Julian Goose, of the Council, said the guidelines would help the courts take a ‘consistent approach’ to sentencing the offences, adding: “Public order is essential for the safe-functioning of society and the law seeks to protect the public from behaviour which undermines this.”
These new instructions will come into effect on January 1 and will be the only public order offence for which offenders can be convicted for what they say, write, broadcast or post on the interest or social