Status: At Report Stage in the House of Commons
Description: This bill would add a definition of “hatred” to the Criminal Code for the existing offence of wilfully promoting hatred, and would add new offences to the Criminal Code. If passed, the bill will prohibit various hate symbols, add a new stand-alone hate crime offence, and prohibit certain conduct that would impede access to any building or site primarily used by an identifiable group. It would also remove the religious defence for the crime of promoting hatred.
Analysis: The new hate crime offence and offences related to religious and cultural places in Bill C-9 could create more confusion and challenges than benefits. What Canada really needs is better enforcement of existing laws to prevent criminal activity and high recidivism. However, the most concerning aspect of Bill C-9 is the removal of the religious defence for the crime of promoting hatred. The removal of that defence would make it easier to prosecute Christians for publicly declaring biblical truth. For more about this bill, read ARPA Canada’s Submission to the Justice Committee, New Hate Speech Legislation in Canada, or Are MPs Targeting Religious Freedom?
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