Legislation in Canada aimed at combating hate has passed both the House of Commons and the Senate, and now awaits Royal Assent to be enacted into law.
The Combating Hate Act, Bill C-9, amends the country’s criminal code by creating new offenses for publicly displaying certain symbols; committing crimes motivated by hatred; intimidating individuals seeking access to places of worship or community spaces; and obstructing lawful access to those locations.
The bill would also remove the religious-expression defense in cases involving the promotion of hatred or antisemitism.
Opponents argued that the update to the criminal code potentially weakens protections for religious expression. Jewish groups, which are focused on combating rising Jew-hatred in Canada, welcomed its passage.
In a joint statement, seven Jewish groups called the law “an important step forward, giving law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to protect targeted communities and hold offenders accountable.”
“Too often, extremists have acted with impunity, or charges have been dropped after arrests are made,” the groups stated. “The federal government should urgently convene provincial and territorial attorneys general, together with law enforcement agencies, to establish a consistent national approach to enforcement, prosecution and sentencing so that those who break the law are held accountable.”
They called on the government to also make promoting terrorism unlawful, citing recent public displays of support “for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas, Samidoun and other banned terrorist entities.”
