The government introduced
Bill C-9 on September 19, 2025. The bill has been sent to a parliamentary committee to be studied.
The bill defines hatred and creates four new offences in the
Criminal Code. It also removes the requirement that the Attorney General consent to laying charges for hate propaganda offences.
The committee is discussing removal of the good faith religious belief defence from the hate speech provisions in section 319(2) of the
Criminal Code. It seems likely an amendment to the bill to remove this defence will be proposed.
See the EFC's
summary and talking points for contacting your MP about the religious belief defence.
Related resource
- EFC blog on the hate crimes bill controversy (Dec. 9, 2025)
- EFC submission to the House of Common's Justice Committee (PDF, 9 pages, Nov. 21, 2025)
- EFC blog on civil disagreement on the good faith religious belief defence (Nov. 17, 2025)
- EFC backgrounder on the good faith religioius belief defence (PDF, 4 pages, Nov. 4, 2025)
- EFC's three-page summary of Bill C-9 (PDF, Oct. 6, 2025)
- EFC overview of a previous bill with similar provisions, former Bill C-63 (PDF, 7 pages, 26 March 2024)