The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Act 2023, which came into force today, also criminalises glorifying and praising acts of terrorism.

Attorney general Mark Dreyfus said there is “no place in Australia for acts and symbols that glorify the horrors of the Holocaust and terrorist acts”.

“This is the first legislation of its kind and will ensure no one in Australia will be allowed to glorify or profit from acts and symbols that celebrate the Nazis and their evil ideology,” he added.

The commencement of the law comes amid a reported rise in hate crimes against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Gaza. It also follows widely-publicised photos of neo-Nazis performing Nazi salutes at an anti-transgender rally in Melbourne last March.

A number of Australian states and territories have introduced their own bans on Nazi salutes in recent years. The Summary Offences Amendment (Nazi Salute Prohibition) Act 2023 came into force in Victoria in October and has already led to charges.