The Canadian bishops have written an open letter to express deep concern regarding recent reports of government plans to remove the long-standing religious exemption in Section 319(3)(b) of the Criminal Code as part of Bill C-9 amendments. Our bishops are requesting charter rights and freedom of religion to be maintained, and to provide clear assurance that good-faith religious expression, teaching, and preaching will not be subject to criminal prosecution under hate-propaganda provisions.
Bill C-9, the ‘Combatting Hate Act,’ is passed and in effect as of July 18, 2026.
The Catholic Civil Rights League notes that ‘it is difficult to propose strategies for avoidance of a criminal complaint or possible charge under the new regime. Some traditional religious concerns will be suppressed by many to avoid the risk of prosecution’ (see their full article, here).