Bill C-9 would go back to committee to rethink part of the proposed law about hate and religion to protect religious expression and freedom.
What They Voted On
That the motion be amended by deleting all the words after the word '“That” and substituting the following: “Bill C-9 , An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) , be not now read a third time but be referred back to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for the purpose of reconsidering clause 4 with the view to amend the bill so as to restore paragraph 319(3)(b) and paragraph 319(3.1)(b) of the Act, in order to preserve longstanding safeguards for good faith religious expression, address concerns raised by a broad range of religious communities across Canada, and protect freedom of expression and religion under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”.
What This Vote Is Really About
This vote is about whether to send Bill C-9 back to a committee for more work. Bill C-9 is a proposed law that would change how Canada deals with hate speech and hate crimes. Some Members of Parliament want the committee to take another look at a specific part of the proposed law. This part deals with hate speech related to religion. They want to make sure that people can still freely express their religious beliefs without being accused of spreading hate. They are worried that the proposed law, as it is now, might accidentally punish people for expressing their faith. If this vote passes, the committee will discuss this part of Bill C-9 again and possibly make changes. This could affect how the proposed law impacts religious freedom and free speech in Canada. Citizens should care because this vote could change the balance between protecting people from hate and allowing them to freely express their opinions and beliefs, especially about religion.
Related Bill
Tougher Penalties for Hate Crimes
This proposed law wants to change the rules about hate. It would make it easier to punish people who spread hate online. It also aims to protect religious and cultural places from hate-motivated crimes.
Passing
Hover over a seat to see details, click to view the member's profile.