Canadian government set to remove religious exemptions from hate-speech laws
Caroline MolloyLegislators in Canada are reportedly poised to strip religious protections from the country’s hate-speech laws as part of an effort to crack down on hateful symbols throughout the country.
Lawmakers with the Liberal Party of Canada have reportedly struck a deal with the Bloc Québécois party to remove the religious exemptions from the national code.
Canadian law forbids people from “incit[ing] hatred against any identifiable group,” though it provides exemptions for individuals whose opinions are grounded in religion or a religious text.
The National Post reported on Dec. 1 that the exemptions are expected to be removed in an upcoming amendment to the country’s hate-speech laws. The paper cited a “senior government source” who was granted anonymity to discuss the proceedings.
“The bill is in a place now … everyone is happy,” the source told the Post.
Reports of hate crimes in Canada have been on the rise in recent years, fueled particularly by antisemitic incidents. One report from the human rights group B’nai Brith Canada found a massive rise in antisemitic incidents in the country after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, with another notable increase throughout 2024.
The proposed bill in the Canadian Legislature would amend the country’s hate-speech laws to criminalize the display of the Nazi swastika as well as the symbol for the Nazi SS organization — both of which are regularly used to target Jewish people.
The legislation, if passed, will also repeal a requirement that the Canadian attorney general sign off on proceedings for “hate propaganda offenses.”
