DI ANTONIO VITALE
abstract – Starting from the analysis of a concrete case, the subject of a recent ruling of the Supreme Court, the paper deals succinctly and without any pretension of exhaustiveness – with the limited purpose of encouraging a discussion – with the complex issue of hate speech: speeches and expressions that are such as to integrate so-called hate crimes. The issue seems to present itself, in fact, in the current historical phase, of crucial interest. In cases in which the phenomenon cannot be contained at a social, political and cultural level, the State has only to resort, as an extreme means, to the criminal weapon.
Keywords – Hate crimes; hate speech; criminal law; limits to free speech