Overview

• Justice Minister Sean Fraser introduced legislation creating four new Criminal Code offences, including a standalone hate offence applied when a crime is motivated by hatred.
• The bill would criminalize willful intimidation and intentional obstruction of access to places of worship and other specified institutions, with maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
• A new hate propaganda offence would prohibit willfully promoting hatred by publicly displaying certain symbols, naming the Nazi swastika, SS bolts and symbols associated with listed terrorist entities.
• CBC reporting notes examples could include symbols tied to Hamas, the Proud Boys and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps when used to promote hatred against identifiable groups.
• The legislation would codify a definition of “hatred” based on Supreme Court jurisprudence and remove the requirement for attorney general consent to lay hate propaganda charges.