Bill C-9

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

By a majority 5-4 vote, Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, proceeded out of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on March 11 and was reported back to the House of Commons.

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.

Catholic and Christian organizations are expressing appreciation for the federal government’s willingness to refine Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, to remedy religious freedom concerns, but want this spirit more explicitly conveyed in the text of the legislation.

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

It remains to be seen if the Liberal Party will ultimately be compelled to scrap the Combatting Hate Act down the road, but it is clear that Bill C-9’s legislative momentum in the House of Commons has been significantly disrupted.

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.

A charged justice and human rights committee debate over Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, will persist into 2026 as the Liberal Chair, James Maloney, suspended sittings for the rest of the year.

Liberal MPs on the justice and human rights committee voted Tuesday evening to approve a controversial Bloc Québécois amendment to Bill C-9 that removes the religious speech defence from Canada’s hate speech law.