Racial vilification

Racial vilification is the term in the legislation of Australia that refers to a public act that encourages or incites others to hate people because of their race, nationality, country of origin, colour or ethnic origin. Public acts of this type are illegal according to e.g., the Racial Vilification Act 1996 of South Australia.

Vague provisions of the law that criminalise racial vilification caused criticism. In 2006 a controversy sparkled over a court decision not to prosecute an Australian aborigine girl according to the Vilification Act for calling someone "white slut". Critics classified this as an example of reverse discrimination, while Attorney-General of Western Australia Jim McGinty commented that "The laws are not about cracking down on name calling. What they are about is racial hatred in the most vile and serious of manners."