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New hate crime offences created

C-9 Combatting Hate Act: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)

Creates criminal offences for hate-motivated crimes, displaying hate symbols in public, and blocking access to religious or cultural places.

What the law does

The law creates a hate crime offence for breaking federal laws out of hatred based on specified factors. It also makes it an offence to promote hatred by displaying symbols in public, or to intimidate or block people trying to access places used for religious worship or by identifiable groups. In addition, the law removes the requirement for the Attorney General to consent before hate propaganda charges can be laid.

Official text

Official summary

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to, among other things, (a) repeal the requirement that the Attorney General consent to the institution of proceedings for hate propaganda offences; (b) create an offence of wilfully promoting hatred against any identifiable group by displaying certain symbols in a public place; (c) create a hate crime offence of committing an offence under that Act or any other Act of Parliament that is motivated by hatred based on certain factors; (d) create an offence of intimidating a person in order to impede them from accessing certain places that are primarily used for religious worship or by an identifiable group for certain purposes; and (e) create an offence of intentionally obstructing or interfering with a person’s lawful access to such places.

The government's summary, printed at the front of the bill as introduced.

Kind
Government bill
Sponsor
Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice (Central Nova)
Introduced
in the House of Commons
Last activity

Where it stands

  1. ProposedSep 19, 2025
  2. Being debated
  3. Almost law
  4. LawJun 18

Became law June 18

  1. First reading in the House done

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  2. Second reading in the House done

    Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

    Before the House on 2 sitting days, to

    2nd reading and referral to committee - JUST: agreed to on division,

  3. Committee in the House done

    Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  4. Report stage in the House done

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  5. Third reading in the House done

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

    3rd reading: agreed to, 186–⁠137 (division 93),

  6. First reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  7. Second reading in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

    Before the Senate on 5 sitting days, to

  8. Committee in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  9. Report stage in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  10. Third reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  11. Royal assent done

Exact procedural stages

Officially: Royal assent received June 18, 2026 · S.C. 2026, c. 15.

  1. House
  2. Senate
  3. Royal assent

Debates in the House 8

Members who spoke: Conservative 25 Liberal 18 Bloc Québécois 7 Green 1 Independent 1

Senate amendments 5

  1. Combatting Hate Act

    · Sitting 134 · 7 statements · 3 graded

    4 members spoke

  2. Government Orders: Second Reading and Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    · Sitting 134 · 19 statements · 17 graded

    11 members spoke

  3. Combatting Hate Act

    · Sitting 136 · 38 statements · 35 graded

    14 members spoke

  4. Combatting Hate Act

    · Sitting 137 · 9 statements · 7 graded

    4 members spoke

  5. Combatting Hate Act

    · Sitting 137 · 14 statements · 8 graded

    10 members spoke

Time allocation, closure and other motions on the bill 2

  1. Government Orders: Bill C-9-Notice of Time Allocation Motion

    · Sitting 134 · Time allocation motion · 1 statement

    1 member spoke

  2. Combatting Hate Act: Bill C-9-Time Allocation Motion

    · Sitting 136 · Time allocation motion · 37 statements · 31 graded

    16 members spoke

Other debate 1

  1. Combatting Hate Act

    · Sitting 137 · 91 statements · 80 graded

    25 members spoke

Also raised in 23

Question Period, members' statements and other debates where the bill came up.

Show 23

  1. Safe Social Media Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  2. Privilege

    · Routine Proceedings · named 1 time

  3. Criminal Code

    · PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS · named 20 times

  4. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  5. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  6. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  7. Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  8. Private Members' Business

    · Private Members' Business · named 1 time

  9. Government Business No. 13—Proceedings on Bill C‑22

    · Government Orders · named 5 times

  10. Government Business No. 12—Proceedings on Bill C-30

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  11. Government Business No. 12—Proceedings on Bill C-30

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  12. Bail and Sentencing Reform Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  13. Business of the House

    · Government Orders · named 2 times

  14. Protecting Victims Act

    · Government Orders · named 4 times

  15. Routine Proceedings

    · Routine Proceedings · named 2 times

  16. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  17. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  18. Routine Proceedings

    · Routine Proceedings · named 2 times

  19. Canada Labour Code

    · Private Members' Business · named 1 time

  20. Petitions

    · Routine Proceedings · named 3 times

  21. Government Orders

    · Government Orders · named 2 times

  22. Government Business No. 9—Changes to the Standing Orders

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  23. Routine Proceedings

    · Routine Proceedings · named 1 time

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Status, stages and votes from LEGISinfo. Debates are linked from the House's own record of what was before it. Grades are the site's analysis of each statement.