Status: At Committee 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.
Analysis: While much less concerning than a previous government bill (C-63, never passed), Bill C-9 still has concerning elements. The proposed definition of hatred appears to lower the bar for what constitutes the offence of promoting hatred. Additionally, the new hate crime offence and offences related to religious and cultural places 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. For more about this bill, read ARPA Canada’s Submission to the Justice Committee or New Hate Speech Legislation in Canada.
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