The federal government introduced legislation Friday (Sept. 19) to combat hate crimes, intimidation and obstruction.
The Combatting Hate Act, introduced by federal Justice Minister and Attorney General Sean Fraser, comes after what the federal government says is "a horrifying rise in hate crimes in our communities."
"Canada will not tolerate anyone being made to feel afraid because of who they are, how they worship, or where they gather," notes the release Friday. "Rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia have left too many people feeling unsafe in their own communities."
The proposed changes to the Criminal Code would codify a definition of "hatred,"clarifying when conduct constitutes a hate crime, the release adds.
The act would also amend the Criminal Code in three parts:
• Making it a crime to intimidate and obstruct people from accessing places of worship, as well as schools, community centres and other places primarily used by an identifiable group
• Making hate-motivated crime a specific offence and that offenders are held accountable
• Making it a crime to wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group by displaying terrorism or hate symbols in public
The Combatting Hate Act would also "streamline the process to lay hate propaganda charges by removing the requirement to obtain the Attorney General’s consent." By removing that step, according to the release, law enforcement "would be able to act quickly to counter hate speech and protect communities."
Currently the Criminal Code has four hate propaganda offences, but most require an Attorney General's consent before charges can be laid.
The proposed changes respect Canadians' Charter freedoms of expression and peacefully assembly. It "would not unreasonably impact the freedom to protest, or voice concerns peacefully."
The release adds the proposed changes target criminal behaviour that intimidates or obstructs access to community spaces, "making clear where the line is drawn."
In 2024, the number of police-reported hate crimes increased compared to the previous year.
The federal government says most of those crimes targeted race, ethnicity or religion. For religion, most police-reported hate crimes were directed toward Jewish and Muslim populations, at 68 per cent and 17 per cent respectively.
Black People have been the most frequently targeted population as victims of hate crimes motivated by race or ethnicity since 2020. That accounts for 37 per cent of hate crimes in 2024.
