THE BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) on Friday announced revisions to the Hate Crimes (HAT 1) policy. The policy acknowledges the significant harm caused by hate crimes to victims, their communities, and society as a whole.

It recognizes that hate crimes can cause grave psychological and social consequences that may impact one’s own self-worth, inclusion and belonging, as well as personal and collective safety.

Changes to the policy include:
* defining “hate crimes” for the purposes of the policy to include any of the following prohibited acts:
• hate propaganda offences: advocating or promoting genocide, public incitement of hatred, wilful promotion of hatred, and wilful promotion of antisemitism
• conversion therapy offences
• mischief to property of an identifiable group motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate
• any Criminal Code offence motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, or on any other similar factor
* specific advice on five new Criminal Code hate crime offences (wilful promotion of antisemitism and four conversion therapy offences)
* specific guidance for hate crimes targeting Indigenous victims and Indigenous communities