Bill C-9 was introduced in the House of Commons on September 19, 2025.
The bill defines hatred and creates four new offences in the
Criminal Code. It also removes the requirement that the Attorney General consent to laying charges for hate propaganda offences.
On December 9, the Justice Committee voted to amend Bill C-9 so that it removes the religious belief defence from the hate speech provisions in
Criminal Code s. 319(2).
The House of Commons passed a government motion to limit debate on Bill C-9 on March 10, 2026. The motion fast tracks the bill through the remaining stages in the House of Commons, with one day each for report stage and third reading.
The Justice Committee finished its clause-by-clause review of the bill on March 11, 2026.
Bill C-9 will return to the House of Commons on March 23, 2026.
Related resources
- New updated version of two-page summary (Mar. 19, 2026, original from Jan. 13 archived below)
- EFC blog, "Justice Committee finishes with Bill C-9 - What's next?" (Mar. 13, 2026)
- EFC blog, "Motion to close debate on Bill C-9," (Mar. 6, 2026)
- Petition form: download, collect 25+ signatures, mail to your MP (PDF, Jan. 23, 2026)
- Older version of EFC's two-page summary with tips for contacting your MP on hate crimes and religious expression (Jan. 13, 2026), also available in Chinese (中文) and en français.
- EFC President's letter to the Prime Minister (Dec. 9, 2025)
- EFC blog on the hate crimes bill controversy (Dec. 9, 2025)
- EFC submission to the House of Common's Justice Committee (PDF, 9 pages, Nov. 21, 2025)
- EFC blog on civil disagreement on the good faith religious belief defence (Nov. 17, 2025)
- EFC talking points and summary on the religious belief defence (Nov. 14, 2025)
- EFC backgrounder on the good faith religious belief defence (PDF, 4 pages, Nov. 4, 2025)
- EFC's three-page summary of Bill C-9 (PDF, Oct. 6, 2025)