Preserve religious exemption in C-9
Petitioners ask Canada to reject removing Bill C‑9's religious exemption and to bar criminalizing good‑faith religious expression. The government responds that freedom of religion is protected and Bill C‑9 excludes good‑faith religious speech from prosecution.
Why we would sign this petition
- Prevents prosecutions of clergy, educators or individuals who quote or teach sacred texts in good faith, addressing the petitioners' concern about criminalizing sincere religious teaching.
- Affirms Charter freedoms by keeping an explicit religious exemption in hate‑speech laws, reducing legal uncertainty for religious expression.
- Avoids a chilling effect on religious discourse and preserves space for worship, preaching and teaching without fear of criminal sanction.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Removing the exemption could help prosecutors address extreme, dehumanizing hate speech that targets vulnerable groups, as the bill aims to combat rising hate incidents.
- Courts already apply a high threshold for hate‑speech prosecutions, so keeping an explicit exemption may be redundant and could hinder enforcement against serious hate propaganda.
- There is a trade‑off between protecting religious expression and preventing harm; broad exemptions might inadvertently shield harmful or targeted speech that warrants legal response.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS • Bill C-9 would amend the Criminal Code to address hate propaganda and hate crimes, but the Liberals are proposing an amendment to remove the religious exemption that protects good-faith expressions of beliefs based on religious texts. • Removing this exemption could criminalize Canadians for expressing sincerely held religious beliefs, undermining freedoms guaranteed by the Charter. • This change could lead to legal action against clergy, educators, and individuals for quoting or teaching from sacred texts without malice. THEREFORE We, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to reject any amendment to Bill C-9 that removes the religious exemption from Canada's hate speech provisions, protect Canadians' constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression, and ensure legislation does not criminalize good-faith religious discourse or teaching.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by The Parliamentary Secretary Patricia Lattanzio The Government of Canada’s commitment to freedom of religion is unwavering. Freedom of religion is explicitly protected under section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and has been consistently upheld by Canadian courts. All Canadians are free to pray, preach, teach, interpret scripture, and express religious belief in good faith without fear of violence, intimidation, or criminal sanction. Canada is facing a troubling rise in hate speech and hate crimes. To better protect all people in Canada, including their ability to worship, gather, and practise their faith in daily life, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, in the House of Commons on September 19, 2025. As part of Parliament’s consideration of this legislation, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights adopted an amendment on December 9, 2025, repealing what is commonly referred to as the good faith religious opinion provision in the Criminal Code. This amendment reflects longstanding legal principles already recognized by Canadian courts. Crucially, Canada’s hate propaganda laws already set a very high threshold. Prosecutors must prove a deliberate intent to promote hatred, which the Supreme Court of Canada has defined as extreme and dehumanizing expression that goes far beyond mere offence or disagreement. Only the most dangerous forms of hate, including speech that vilifies, dehumanizes, or incites harm against an identifiable group, are captured by the Criminal Code. Religious sermons, teachings, and the reading or sharing of sacred texts in good faith do not meet this standard and are not criminalized. In addition, on March 11, 2026, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights adopted a clause for greater certainty in Bill C-9. This clause codifies in clear statutory language what has always been the case in Canadian law: that good faith religious, educational, political, or academic discussion on matters of public interest is not prohibited. The Government of Canada remains firmly committed to protecting religious freedom. A strong Canada safeguards every person’s right to worship freely and to share their faith, while ensuring that no one is subjected to the most extreme forms of hatred that threaten public safety, dignity, and social cohesion.