OTTAWA โ The federal government has introduced the Combatting Hate Act, a sweeping bill that would add new Criminal Code offences to protect places of worship, schools, community centres, and other sites used by identifiable groups from intimidation and obstruction.
The bill, tabled in the House of Commons as Bill C-9, would create two separate offences. The first would criminalize wilful intimidation intended to prevent people from accessing protected places. The second would make it an offence to intentionally obstruct lawful access to those locations. Both offences would carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment for the most serious indictable cases and lower maximums for less serious matters.
Protected places under the new measures include buildings primarily used for religious worship, such as synagogues and mosques, cemeteries, and facilities primarily used by an identifiable group for administrative, cultural, educational, social, or sports purposes. The bill defines an identifiable group by protected grounds, including religion, race, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
The Combatting Hate Act would also create a new statutorily defined hate crime enhancement. If an existing federal offence is committed and motivated by hatred toward a protected group, the offence could be prosecuted as a hate crime, exposing offenders to higher maximum penalties that reflect the heightened social harm of bias-motivated conduct. Sentencing courts would be required to impose penalties that consider the seriousness of the hate motive.
A separate new hate propaganda offence would make it a crime to wilfully promote hatred by publicly displaying certain terrorism or hate symbols, including symbols principally associated with terrorist entities listed under the Criminal Code and the Nazi Hakenkreuz (Swastika) and the SS double sig rune. The measure contains a carve-out for legitimate educational, artistic, or journalistic uses.
The bill would add a statutory definition of hatred to the Criminal Code, grounded in Supreme Court jurisprudence. The definition focuses on detestation or vilification and clarifies that mere dislike, disdain, or offensive speech alone does not amount to hatred. Justice officials say codifying the definition will improve consistency in how hate offences are applied.
The Combatting Hate Act would also remove the long-standing requirement that the Attorney General’s consent be obtained before charges can be laid for hate propaganda offences. Government officials say this change will streamline prosecutions and allow law enforcement to act more quickly in cases involving hate propaganda.
Justice Department officials framed the legislation as a response to rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and transphobia across Canada. The department said many Canadians feel unsafe in their places of worship and community spaces and that the new tools are intended to protect vulnerable communities while preserving lawful protest and free expression. โThere is a horrifying rise in hate crimes in our communities, and Canada will not tolerate anyone being made to feel afraid because of who they are, how they worship, or where they gather,โ the ministry said in its news release.
The new measures received quick public support from some provincial officials and Jewish communal organizations that have urged stronger legal tools to counter targeted harassment at synagogues and Jewish schools. At the same time, civil liberties groups and some legal experts caution that the legislation will require careful implementation to avoid chilling lawful protest and free speech. Observers say the billโs exclusions for peaceful assembly, journalism, and education will be critical in future court scrutiny.
If enacted, the Combatting Hate Act would mark one of the most significant legislative steps in recent years to address hate-motivated conduct in Canada. Lawmakers in Ottawa must now debate the measure as it begins the committee and study process in Parliament. The coming parliamentary stages will test how legislators balance robust protections for vulnerable communities with constitutional safeguards.
This article is based on verified information from the Department of Justice Canada news release and backgrounder, the Parliament of Canada Bill C 9 text, Global News coverage, and related Government of Canada materials.