Religious Freedom

Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, advanced to the Senate. The House of Commons adopted it with a 186-137 vote at third reading.

The 11 months since the 2025 federal election have seen the Liberals introduce several bills with significant digital policy implications: Bill C-2, Bill C-8 and, most recently, Bill C-22, tabled on March 12.

In a 186-144 vote, the House of Commons today closed debate on the controversial Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, opening the door to remove the good faith religious speech protections in the Criminal Code.

The Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva called on governments and international organizations to strengthen religious freedom protections for persecuted Christians.

A proposed amendment to Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, will only create greater uncertainty, said Conservative MP Andrew Lawton.

During his Jan. 30 address at the Conservative Party of Canada's national policy convention (Jan. 29-31) in Calgary, Poilievre told those gathered, "You will have the ability to worship God in your own way.”

Groups that opposed Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act and its threat to criminalize religious speech, are celebrating after the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights voted Jan. 26 to delay further consideration until after tackling Bill C-14, the Bail Reform and Sentencing Act.

Parliamentarians return to the House of Commons from their winter recess on Jan. 26, which will trigger renewed debate over Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act.

The Christian Heritage Party (CHP) of Canada and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) are taking to the courts next month to defend freedom of political and religious expression.

For the fourth consecutive year, North Korea was named the country where Christians face the most extreme persecution, according to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026, but Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship just over a year ago has propelled the Mideast nation up the list.