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.

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Law professors @PardyBruce and @Ryan_P_Alford decimate the Liberal government's so-called anti-hate Bill C-9.

Both are in agreement this will infringe on free speech and open the door to U.K.-style social media policing. pic.twitter.com/M93VU2Nfnk

— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) October 23, 2025

Canadian constitutional rights defenders at The Democracy Fund (TDF) warn that “removing the religious exemption, while simultaneously broadening the definition of 'hatred,' will empower prosecutors to charge anyone publicly discussing controversial religious beliefs.”

Justice Minister Sean Fraser admits Bill C-9 will apply to online posts. Will Orwellian U.K.-style police visits over tweets be far behind? pic.twitter.com/9P122ru0bd

— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) October 10, 2025

TDF Litigation Director Mark Joseph says, “The threat of such prosecutions will chill religious speech so that even the public discussion of traditional religious beliefs will become legally perilous. Censorship deprives all citizens - religious and non-religious alike - of the ability to hear, discuss, criticize and form their own opinions on important ethical and religious topics."

The Democracy Fund urges lawmakers to reject this amendment, safeguard religious expression, and oppose hate speech laws, which it views as “impractical, superfluous and incoherent.”