Promising practice :
Minister of Justice (Koen Geens) and Belgian Chamber of Representatives.
Start date:
The law came into force on 5 May 2019.
End date:
There is no end date.
National – law amending the Belgian Criminal Code.
The courts and the public prosecutor’s office.
No funding for the practice.
Law text – amendment of the Belgian Criminal Code.
The law amends the Criminal Code, to increase the use of alternative measures to curb racist and xenophobic delinquency and combat recidivism related to discrimination more effectively. The law gives judges, in cases of violations of the negationism law, the anti-racism law, the anti-discrimination law and the sexism law, the opportunity to give directions so that the interpretation of community service is related to the fight against negationism, racism, discrimination or sexism.
Pilot projects are currently under way in which the public prosecutor’s office is looking at ways to implement these alternative measures in practice. The equality bodies and civil society organisations will also be consulted at a later stage.
No monitoring or evaluation of the law has been carried out.
Equal Opportunities Team, Federal Public Service Justice
Email: equal@just.fgov.be