The Liberal government’s new hate crime bill has made a step forward in the House of Commons, while opposition parties are expressing concerns about some of its content.
Bill C-9, also known as the Combatting Hate Act, was introduced by Justice Minister Sean Fraser on Sept. 19. It aims to add four new hate-related offences to the Criminal Code, including for the crimes of obstructing or intimidating those who seek to use faith-based institutions, as well as for hate-motivated crimes and the intentional promotion of hate through the use of “hate symbols.”
The legislation would also add a new definition of “hatred” to the Criminal Code and remove the requirement for the attorney general’s consent before prosecuting certain hate propaganda offences, such as willful promotion of hatred or public display of hate symbols….