OTTAWA — Justice Minister Sean Fraser declared Tuesday that Canada will see significant new federal hate crime laws in coming days, targeting rising anti-Jewish and other hate incidents in places of worship, schools, and public spaces. The move comes as police reports of hate crimes have sharply increased since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing conflict in Gaza.
Fraser announced that the new legislation will go beyond previous campaign commitments focused on protecting religious institutions from obstruction and intimidation. “We intend to take it a step further to address hate more broadly in our communities,” Fraser told reporters.
The justice minister explained that, in consultations this summer, Canadians described hate occurring not just on the steps of religious sites, but “in real time for people in communities more broadly.” Fraser stressed, “We want to ensure that we reflect changes in the criminal law that will offer protection to people who are subjected to crimes of hate, no matter where they take place”.
The bill will criminalize the obstruction and intimidation of access to places of worship, community centres, and schools. Fraser emphasized that the government would extend the law to protect Canadians from hate-motivated crimes wherever they occur, not only near religious institutions.
Parts of this new legislation may reflect elements of the earlier Online Harms Act, which proposed amendments to the Criminal Code and the Human Rights Act, including stiffer penalties for hate offences and the inclusion of online hate speech as a form of discrimination. The original bill would have allowed Canadians to file complaints against online hate speech through the Human Rights Commission and would have increased sentences for hate propaganda and hate crime offences.
Fraser noted, “There are certain features that we will borrow, and to the extent that there were concerns raised around them, we are seeking to accommodate the very real concerns that we heard. This is not a wholesale reintroduction of a piece of legislation”.
Fraser also confirmed that legislation to reform bail processes and sentencing for violent crimes, including those with a hate motivation, will be introduced in October, responding to community concerns about repeat offenders.
For Canada’s Jewish community and allies, these measures signal federal commitment to combating the alarming rise in antisemitic and other hate crimes. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs praised the reforms as “a step in the right direction,” urging ongoing vigilance and stricter enforcement.
This article is based on verified information from The Canadian Press, CBC News, CityNews, and government statements.