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Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal government will introduce legislation to address hate crimes, including intimidation and obstruction of faith-based communities, within the first few weeks of Parliament’s return.
“We want to advance measures that will help address the scourge of hate crimes that we see in this country, including, specifically, faith-based communities,” Fraser told reporters in Edmonton on Sept. 11.
He said that the justice department wants to add criminal provisions to prohibit the obstruction of synagogues, mosques, churches, as well as cultural community centres, schools, or other facilities designed for specific groups. The provisions would also prohibit the intimidation of people seeking to use such faith-based institutions.
Canada’s Criminal Code already prohibits hate propaganda and treats hate-motivated crimes as aggravating factors at sentencing. The government’s legislation would prohibit obstruction or intimidation of faith-based institutions.
As one of the justice department’s first priorities in the coming session of Parliament, Fraser said the government intends to advance legislation pertaining to obstruction and intimidation of faith-based institutions “within the first few weeks” of Parliament’s return.
He said the government also intends to introduce new measures that would “address hate more broadly that is coupled with other criminal behaviour” regardless of its proximity to a particular faith-based institution.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) commented on the government’s intention to introduce the hate crime legislation, calling it “a much-need step in the right direction.”
“We urge the government to continue pushing forward with measures to keep Canadians safe – including ensuring enforcement of existing laws, filling gaps in Canada’s anti-terror legislation, and boosting support for community security in Budget 2025,” CIJA CEO Noah Shack said in a Sept. 12 statement.
“To fully protect our communities and all Canadians from escalating threats, more action is needed to address the deeper sources of hatred and violence.”
The Jewish community has seen a sharp rise in anti-Semitism since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Shack noted, saying “schools have been shot at, synagogues firebombed, Jewish-owned businesses vandalized, and even everyday activities like grocery shopping or taking your kids to the park have become unsafe.”
Statistics Canada data indicates there were 920 police-reported hate crimes targeting Jewish people in 2024— far outweighing other types of religiously motivated attacks that year.
Bail Reform
Speaking to reporters on Sept. 12, Fraser also mentioned a number of measures relating to bail reform, sentencing, and justice system delays that he says the federal government expects to table in October.
The federal government will “make good” on its campaign commitments to tighten bail reforms, Fraser said. He noted that this will include “clarifying the role of bail in the criminal justice system,” and creating a new reverse onus for serious and violent crimes such as auto theft, home invasion, human trafficking, assault, and sexual assault.
Additionally, the minister said a number of measures will be introduced to strengthen sentencing for violent repeat offenders for serious crimes “to ensure that the perpetrators of those crimes face serious consequences.”
The government will also address what Fraser called “very serious” delay challenges in the justice system to make sure serious crimes are not dismissed just because they’ve been “taking too long.” He noted there is of particular importance in cases of sexual violence and complex drug prosecution.
New measures to protect victims of intimate partner violence, protecting kids online, and victims in the criminal justice system will also be introduced as a third piece of legislation during the fall parliamentary sitting, Fraser said.
He noted that this could include establishing new offences that relate to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images or “deep fakes,” as well as other measures to protect children against online exploitation, and “more support for victims through the criminal trial process.”
‘Jail Not Bail’
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on Sept. 11 that his party will introduce the “Jail Not Bail Act” when Parliament resumes, to put forward bail reform measures the Tories have long been calling for.
The Tory legislation would modify Canada’s justice system by eliminating the requirement for judges to release individuals accused of crimes at the “earliest reasonable opportunity and on the least onerous conditions possible,” which was established under Liberal Bill C-75.
Instead, the legislation would make it more difficult for those accused of serious crimes to receive bail by introducing a new major offences category that requires those accused of offences such as sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion, robbery, arson, and firearms crimes to “prove that it is safe to release them on bail.”
Poilievre said judges would have to consider the full criminal history of the accused before granting them bail, including looking at whether an offender is likely to re-offend after they are released. Those convicted of a major offence within the last 10 years would not be eligible for bail. Those with an indictable offence would also be unable to act as a guarantor for another accused person.
Matthew Horwood contributed to this report.