Bill C-9 Hate Definition Changes Explained

Ian McLeod, spokesman for the Department of Justice, reiterated that stance in an April 2, 2026 email to AFP. "Hatred is a high threshold involving vilification and detestation," McLeod said.

The bill defines hatred as "an emotion of an intense and extreme nature that is clearly associated with vilification and detestation," and says an offense is not motivated by hatred solely because it "discredits, humiliates, hurts or offends."

This proffered definition borrows from high court decisions but lacks their important qualifiers such as that the speech be “intense and extreme.” The planned legislation requires merely that it “involves” detestation or vilification.

“The majority of Bill C-9 does not address a gap in the law. Current offences such as mischief, intimidation, threats and harassment already give police the tools they need to protect public safety.” · “The new intimidation offence is far broader than existing prohibitions and could criminalize peaceful protests simply because they are seen as disruptive”, continued Bussières McNicoll.

OTTAWA — The federal government recently introduced Bill C-9 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) – with the declared intent to make Canadians safer. Instead, this legislative proposal creates new criminal laws that risk serious and unjustified infringements on Charter-protected fundamental freedoms, including the criminalization of peaceful protest.

More than 40 civil society ... this bill back in the fall. They warned that its vague language could be used to criminalize peaceful protest and silence unpopular expression....

However, we anticipate that this offence may be prosecuted in the context of an assembly/protest taking place at or near one of the proposed places set out. The Charter guarantees the right to freedom of peaceful assembly under section 2(c).

À mon avis, les mots « détestation » et « diffamation » décrivent bien l’effet préjudiciable que le Code vise à éliminer. Les mots qui exposent un groupe ciblé à la détestation tendent à inspirer, d’une manière qui excède le simple dédain ou l’aversion, l’inimitié et une malice extrême envers le groupe.

Critics of this amendment see the reasoning as circular – your religious communication is not hate propaganda if it does not wilfully promote hatred – and don’t agree that it actually provides any more certainty.

Précise que « haine » signifie forte détestation ou vilification, et que le discours n'est pas de la haine simplement parce qu'il offense ou humilie.

Examining the gap between political slogans and policy results, presiding over the vote on Bill C-9 in Parliament, a classroom visit at Bayside, plus key work underway in parliamentary committees.