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Stormont’s justice minister, Naomi Long, has faced delays from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) regarding her efforts to designate transgender individuals as a “protected” group under Northern Ireland’s hate crime legislation. Earlier in November, Long reached out to the other parties in the executive, seeking their endorsement to include this measure in a bill intended to update sentencing laws. Her aim is to provide greater equality for transgender people through these changes.
While Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionist Party indicated their support for the proposal, the DUP has withheld a formal position. The party stated it would only take a stance once a formal submission with detailed proposals is provided. A DUP spokesperson explained that ministers review all executive documents carefully and seek further clarification during the confidential executive process before making decisions. However, despite the deadline in mid-November for a response, the DUP did not reply to Long’s letter.
Long’s initiative refers to transgender identity as a protected characteristic already acknowledged in hate crime laws in other parts of the UK and Ireland. At present, the categories covered include race, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. The bill in question had gained executive approval in December 2024, but additional consent from executive members is necessary for all draft elements before it proceeds to the Assembly. It appears the first and deputy first ministers have also communicated that any additional measures require formal agreement through executive channels.
A Stormont insider commented on the situation, expressing concern that although most parties at the executive table back extending protections to transgender people, the DUP’s lack of engagement is a significant hurdle due to their power to unilaterally block progress. The source remarked, “The DUP seem to once again be happy with a border in the Irish Sea when it comes to progress on social issues in Northern Ireland.” This highlights the ongoing political tensions impacting social policy development in the region.
In her letter, Long emphasized the importance of increasing legal protections for transgender individuals, citing evidence that nearly 100 hate crimes or incidents related to transgender identity were recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) between July 2024 and June 2025. She noted that this figure might be an underestimation due to underreporting and stressed the need for explicit legal safeguards in light of this data. Acknowledging that transgender issues remain the subject of intense public and political debate, Long reiterated the urgency of addressing hate crime protections.
Her proposal follows a recent Supreme Court ruling in Great Britain, which legally defined a woman according to biological sex, with significant ramifications for single-sex spaces such as changing rooms and restrooms. While this ruling applies across Great Britain, it does not extend to Northern Ireland, where the Equality Act 2010 is not in force. Long pointed out that hate crime legislation is distinct from equality law, reinforcing her belief that a legal gap exists in protecting victims of hate crimes based on transgender identity.
The sentencing bill being presented by Long is set to introduce stricter sentences for offences such as causing death by dangerous driving while also modernizing hate crime legislation to offer broader protections for all victims. This legislative effort arrives five years after an independent review by Judge Desmond Marrinan, who recommended that all crimes motivated by age or gender biases— including those targeting transgender people—should be categorized as hate crimes in Northern Ireland
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