Knowledge Bank

A collection of Hourglass' most commonly requested information,
organised into helpful categories and free to use

Policy briefs

Should Age Be a Protected Characteristic Under Hate Crime Law?

Should crimes committed against older people be charged as hate crimes? This Hourglass policy briefing paper explores the background and context of hate crime legislation, and questions whether age and older people should be protected by it.

Within this piece, Hourglass examines the viability of a statutory aggravation based on vulnerability, and outlines key future policy recommendations for policymakers, legislators, and practitioners.