Bill C-9: Motion to End Ongoing Debates

UPDATE (March 17, 2026) – REPORT OF THE JUSTICE COMMITTEE ON BILL C-9

The Justice Committee (Committee) tabled its report (Report) on the proposed changes to Bill C-9 in the House of Commons on March 13, 2026. While some amendments to Bill C-9 have been introduced to promote clarity, CCCC remains concerned about the removal of the good faith religious defence in section 319(3)(b) of the Criminal Code.

The Report includes other changes to Bill C-9, including clarification of the term “hatred”. The amended definition now describes “hatred” as:

“an emotion of an intense and extreme nature that is clearly associated with vilification and detestation.”

Further changes have also been made to the term “hate propaganda”, namely:

11.1 (1) For greater certainty, nothing in subsection 319(2) or (2.2) of the Criminal Code shall be construed as prohibiting a person from communicating a statement on a matter of public interest, including an educational, religious, political or scientific statement made in the course of a discussion, publication or debate, if they do not wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group by communicating the statement.

(2) For greater certainty, nothing in subsection 319(2.1) of the Criminal Code shall be construed as prohibiting a person from communicating a statement on a matter of public interest, including an educational, religious, political or scientific statement made in the course of a discussion, publication or debate, if they do not wilfully promote antisemitism by condoning, denying or downplaying the Holocaust.”

As we have previously noted, these amendments may still face criticism for being “circular” and for failing to provide clarity or certainty. Further debates on Bill C-9 in the House of Commons are scheduled for March 23, 2026.  

Our friends at EFC have developed a suite of resources on Bill C-9, and are encouraging those concerned about the ongoing ambiguity in Bill C-9 to contact their local MP to advocate for “strong, clear language that protects religious expression” when debate resumes in the House of Commons next week.

UPDATE (March 12, 2026) – JUSTICE COMMITTEE VOTE ON BILL C-9

On March 11, 2026, the Justice Committee (Committee) met to vote on the final version of Bill C-9 before it proceeds to the report stage in the House of Commons. Following the recent order to eliminate ongoing debates on Bill C-9, the Chair of the Committee must report Bill C-9 back to the House of Commons by March 13, 2026.

A reprinted version of Bill C-9 will be released shortly, and CCCC will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. Of particular concern, the Committee voted to repeal the good faith religious defence in section 319(3)(b) of the Criminal Code.

This development is deeply troubling. CCCC has previously written about the potential impact this change could have on Canadians’ constitutional rights. We encourage members to reach out to their local MPs about their concerns regarding Bill C-9 using the resources we have shared in our previous blogs.

UPDATE (March 11, 2026) – VOTE TO END DEBATE

On March 10, 2026, Members of Parliament voted in favour of ending ongoing debates on Bill C-9. The vote directed the Justice Committee (Committee) to conclude debate and proceed with the expedited consideration of Bill C-9 following the recent motion introduced by the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

The motion was accompanied by debate in the House of Commons on the intended purpose of Bill C-9, as well as criticisms raised by various Members of Parliament. The Justice Committee is scheduled to consider Bill C-9 at its meeting on March 11, 2026. In accordance with the motion, the Chair of the Committee must report Bill C-9 back to the House of Commons by March 13, 2026.

While CCCC continues to support appropriate measures to address hatred and discrimination, the removal of the good-faith religious defence in Bill C-9 is concerning. We have followed up with the Minister of Justice to reiterate the importance of maintaining the good-faith religious defence. CCCC has also urged government to reopen debate on Bill C-9 and meaningfully engage with religious leaders before moving forward. CCCC will continue to monitor the progress of Bill C-9 and provide updates on this blog.

Motion to End Debate

On March 9, 2026, Members of Parliament will vote on a motion that would end the ongoing debates on Bill C-9. If adopted, the motion will eliminate ongoing discussion of concerns about Bill C-9 during the Justice Committee’s (“Committee’s”) review process.

The ongoing debate in the House of Commons has prompted the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons to introduce a motion directing the Committee to:

1. Prioritize Bill C-9 above all other Committee business; ;
2. Resume section-by-section consideration of Bill C-9 at the next Committee meeting;
3. Cease further debates about Bill C-9. The Committee would immediately vote on each section and amendment.   The meeting would continue until the Committee completed its review of Bill C-9; and
4. Have the Chair of the Committee report Bill C-9 to the House of Commons within two sitting days after the review.

The motion establishes strict timelines for the Committee’s consideration of Bill C-9  in order to move it through the legislative process. The purpose of this Motion was to end ongoing debates and quickly allow for the passage of Bill C-9 into law.

CCCC has published our concerns about Bill C-9 in recent blogs and has written to the Justice Committee on the potential impact Bill C-9 would have on the freedom of expression. As Bill C-9 is currently drafted, CCCC recognizes that the term “hatred” is subject to broad interpretation. This may lead to inconsistent and subjective application if Bill C-9 became law. We are also concerned about proposals to remove the good-faith religious defence to hate speech allegations and intend to follow up with the Minister of Justice on our position.

Proposed Amendments to Bill C-9

Most recently, debate at the Committee has centered around proposed amendments, from both supporters and opponents of the Bill. Committee Members of the Justice Committee who are generally supportive of the legislation have proposed an amendment to the Bill.

Critics of this amendment see the reasoning as circular – your religious communication is not hate propaganda if it does not wilfully promote hatred – and don’t agree that it actually provides any more certainty. In response, then, those critics proposed further amendments (indicated in “strikethrough” text):

11.1(1) For greater certainty, nothing in subsection 319(2) or (2.2) of the Criminal Code shall be construed as prohibiting a person from communicating a statement on a matter of public interest, including an educational, religious, political or scientific statement made in the course of a discussion, publication or debate, if they do not wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group by communicating the statement.

(2) For greater certainty, nothing in subsection 319(2.1) of the Criminal Code shall be construed as prohibiting a person from communicating a statement on a matter of public interest, including an educational, religious, political or scientific statement made in the course of a discussion, publication or debate, if they do not wilfully promote antisemitism by condoning, denying or downplaying the Holocaust.

C-9 Rally in Ottawa

The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada is organizing a rally on Parliament Hill to raise awareness of the impact of Bill C-9 on Thursday March 12, 2026. Please visit ARPA’s website for further details.

We encourage members to reach out to their local MPs about their concerns regarding Bill C-9 using the resources we have shared in our previous blogs.

CCCC will write a follow up letter to the Minister of Justice about our concerns over Bill C-9, and we will be sure to share any important updates on the progress of Bill C-9 here on our blog.