Canada Combatting Hate Act (C-9)
What it does
C-9 amends the Criminal Code with new offenses for obstructing or intimidating people at places of worship, schools, and community institutions, plus a standalone hate-crime offense that attaches to any underlying crime and raises its maximum, up to life imprisonment at the top end. The peace-bond power from C-63 survived into it: a court can impose conditions on someone it fears will commit a future hate offense, with four years for breaching them. Royal assent came June 18, 2026, with the provisions in force from July 18.
Why it matters
The provisions that drew the loudest condemnation in C-63, maximums up to life where hate is found and court orders restraining people over crimes not yet committed, passed this time with little fight, split off from the censorship bill that had made them visible. The offenses also reach conduct around protests near listed institutions, which is where hate-crime law and assembly rights collide.
Our take
Splitting C-63 worked: the life maximums and the pre-crime peace bonds that helped kill the parent bill are law now, under a title nobody wants to vote against. The first prosecutions will show what Parliament actually built, starting with which demonstrations count as intimidation.
Timeline
- September 19, 2025First reading (Commons)
- October 1, 2025Second reading (Commons)
- March 25, 2026Passed the Commons
- March 26, 2026First reading (Senate)
- April 30, 2026Second reading (Senate)
- June 4, 2026Passed the Senate
- June 18, 2026Royal assent
Related bills
Our coverage: all free-speech stories · Status checked July 20, 2026