Written Evidence to the Justice Committee on the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill from the Equality Coalition: Part 6 of the Bill – aggravated offences and a ‘misogyny aggravator’
Published:
May 6, 2026
Policy Area(s):Increased Equality
This evidence, submitted by the Equality Coalition in May 2026, urges the Justice Committee to amend Part 6 of the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill to include a misogyny aggravator. The Coalition, co-convened by the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and UNISON, argues that this addition is vital to addressing the acute levels of violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland.
Key Recommendations & Context
- Adopting the “Scottish Model”: The Coalition advocates for a statutory aggravator based on the model developed by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC in Scotland. This model defines misogyny as conduct rooted in male entitlement and the subordination of women.
- Shift to “Aggravated Offences”: The Bill proposes moving from an “aggravated sentence” model to an aggravated offence model. Under this system, a person could be specifically charged with a “misogynistic assault” rather than just a basic assault, ensuring the hate element is investigated and recorded from the outset.
- Closing the Legislative Gap: While the Bill currently covers four protected grounds (race, religion, sexual orientation, and disability), it excludes misogyny. The Coalition notes that despite 30 murders of women and girls in NI in recent years, there are no other legislative plans to address this gap in the current mandate.
Read the full submission here.