Canada’s stronger hate crime protections become law

From: Department of Justice Canada

News release

Criminal Code measures to combat hate crimes, intimidation, and obstruction are now law

June 19, 2026 – Ottawa, ON – Department of Justice Canada

“As hate continues to rise in Canada, communities have been calling for stronger protections against hate crimes. Those protections are now law,” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

The Combatting Hate Act (Bill C-9) received Royal Assent yesterday, delivering on the Government of Canada’s commitment to strengthen protections for communities being made to feel afraid because of who they are, how they worship, or where they gather. The provisions will come into force on July 18, 2026.

These stronger protections make it a crime to intimidate or obstruct people from accessing places where communities gather, including places of worship, schools, and community centres. They also strengthen how the Criminal Code addresses hate-motivated crime and the public display of certain terrorism and hate symbols.

Protecting access to community spaces

People now have stronger protections from intimidation and obstruction when accessing places where communities gather. More specifically, the changes:

  • Make it a crime to intimidate and obstruct people from accessing places of worship, as well as schools, community centres and other places primarily used by an identifiable group

Strengthening hate crime laws

Law enforcement now has stronger tools to respond to hate-motivated crime and protect our communities. More specifically, the changes:

  • Make hate-motivated crime a specific offence, ensuring such conduct is more clearly denounced and that offenders are held accountable
  • Define “hatred” to clarify what conduct constitutes a hate crime in the Criminal Code
  • Make it a crime to wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group by displaying certain terrorism or hate symbols in public, namely symbols principally used by or associated with listed terrorist entities under the Criminal Code, two Nazi symbols, or a noose

Freedom of expression and religion remain protected under the Charter

These protections were shaped by extensive consultations, parliamentary study, and close collaboration with faith groups, community leaders, law enforcement, and partners across the country. This law targets criminal behaviour that intimidates people, obstructs access to community spaces, or wilfully promotes hatred, making clear where the line is drawn. More specifically, the law does not:

  • criminalize religious teaching
  • restrict the ability to preach, read scripture, or practice religion
  • ban peaceful protest or political advocacy
  • create “bubble zones” or
  • criminalize opinions, disagreement, or criticism 

A strong Canada means strong protections for our communities and a Criminal Code that responds to emerging threats, protects victims of crime, and keeps our kids safe. With these stronger hate crime protections now law, the Government of Canada is continuing its broader work to strengthen the Criminal Code, support the front lines, and invest in long-term prevention to help build safer communities.

Quotes

“As hate continues to rise in Canada, communities have been calling for stronger protections against hate crimes. Those protections are now law. We’ve seen synagogues struck by gunfire, places of worship vandalized or burned, and people being targeted in their own communities. That is unacceptable. We cannot allow that kind of hate to become normal in Canada. These changes will help people worship and gather safely in their own communities, while supporting law enforcement with clearer tools to respond.”

The Honourable Sean Fraser, P.C., K.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Quick facts

  • These changes will come into force after 30 days, on July 18, 2026.

  • Between 2018 and 2024, the number of police-reported hate crimes has more than doubled. Of these hate crimes, most targeted race or ethnicity and religion.

  • In 2024, most police-reported hate crimes targeting religion were directed towards Jewish (70%) and Muslim (17%) populations.

  • Since 2020, Black people have been the most frequently targeted population as victims of hate crimes motivated by race or ethnicity, accounting for 37% of these hate crimes in 2024.

  • The Act does not enact “bubble zones” that create protest-free areas around designated buildings. Bubble zone laws are enacted by provinces and municipalities. For example, some provinces have established access zones around abortion clinics, and some municipalities have enacted bubble zone by-laws to provide for safe access to facilities like schools, daycares, and places of worship.

  • The Act does not criminalize religious teaching, sermons, scripture, peaceful assembly, political advocacy, opinions, disagreement, or criticism. The offences are targeting intentional intimidation and obstruction, hate-motivated crime, and the wilful promotion of hatred under high legal thresholds.

  • Prior to the enactment of this legislation, the Criminal Code contained four hate propaganda offences. The Combatting Hate Act adds a new, fifth hate propaganda offence for the wilful promotion of hatred against any identifiable group by displaying certain hate and terrorism symbols in a public place.

  • The law repeals the former good faith religious opinion defence that applied to certain hate propaganda offences, which was enacted before the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The repeal does not criminalize religious teaching, nor does it restrict the ability to preach, read scripture or practice religion in good faith. Freedom of expression and freedom of religion remain protected under Charter. Hate propaganda offences continue to require a high legal threshold, including proof that a person acted wilfully to promote hatred against an identifiable group.

  • The law now defines hatred as an emotion of an intense and extreme nature that is clearly associated with vilification and detestation. This definition reflects existing Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence that courts across the country already apply.

  • The list of terrorist entities is published in the Canada Gazette and on the Public Safety Canada website under Currently listed entities. Additional information on the listing process is available here.

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Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Joannie Fogue
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-297-2431
Joannie.Fogue@justice.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca

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2026-06-19