The Liberal government has agreed to eliminate a longstanding religious exemption in Canada's hate speech laws, paving the way for Bloc Québécois support on Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act.
The amendment, set for debate at the House justice committee, would scrap section 319(3) of the Criminal Code. It currently shields "good faith" expressions of opinion based on religious texts from prosecution for wilful promotion of hatred.
Culture Minister Marc Miller endorsed the change Tuesday, telling reporters: "I don’t think people should be using the Bible, the Qur’an or the Torah to escape from committing a hate crime."
The bill, introduced in September by Justice Minister Sean Fraser, also criminalizes intimidation at places of worship and public display of hate or terrorism symbols. It fulfills a campaign pledge by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Conservatives decried the move as an assault on religious freedom, launching a petition warning sacred texts could be criminalized. "The state has no place in religious teachings," it states.
Bill C-9 remains at second reading, with the exemption's removal expected to pass with Liberal-Bloc votes in the minority Parliament.