Subhead:Canadian constitutional rights defenders warn that removing the religious exemption and broadening the definition of ‘hatred’ could let prosecutors target anyone publicly discussing traditional or controversial religious beliefs.#
The federal government’s Bill C-9 is more of a sweeping expansion of state censorship rather than just a minor legislative tweak. By creating new “hate-motivated” offences, redefining hatred, and criminalizing additional symbols, the bill risks turning public discourse on ethics, morality, and faith into a criminal act.
🚨 UPDATE: TDF opposes government’s proposed removal of religious speech protection from censorship legislation
Proposed change in Bill C-9 risks silencing lawful religious expression.
TORONTO— The government has recently tabled Bill C-9 to significantly expand its state… pic.twitter.com/d3GSpyqDeY
— The Democracy Fund (@TDF_Can) December 11, 2025
The most disturbing change is that the government has quietly accepted an amendment from the Bloc Québécois to remove the longstanding religious exemption in section 319 of the Criminal Code. This safeguard has long protected individuals from prosecution for sincerely held religious beliefs, a protection that the Supreme Court deemed essential in the 1990s case R. v. Keegstra.
Without it, orthodox Jews, evangelical Christians, conservative Muslims, Sikhs, and even religious dissenters could face criminal liability simply for publicly discussing their faith.
