{"id":38892,"date":"2026-03-24T08:40:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/?p=38892"},"modified":"2026-03-24T08:40:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:40:39","slug":"bill-c-9-moves-forward-to-third-reading-but-key-concerns-remain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/legal\/2026\/03\/24\/bill-c-9-moves-forward-to-third-reading-but-key-concerns-remain\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill C-9: Moves Forward to Third Reading but Key Concerns Remain"},"content":{"rendered":"
This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Bill C-9<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

On Monday, March 23, the House of Commons voted to move Bill C-9 forward<\/a> to third reading. MPs voted 188 in favour and 144 against<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing Committee Report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights tabled its report on Bill C-9<\/a> to the House of Commons. The “report” was simply an amended version of the Bill. It did not address the many serious concerns raised in written submissions and oral testimony before the Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amended Bill restores the requirement for Attorney General consent before prosecutions under the section can proceed; however, it also deletes the good faith religious defence. This was – and is – an extremely problematic development, as expressed by CCCC and many other organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good Faith Religious Defence Must be Retained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the Supreme Court of Canada, the good faith religious defence helps ensure the offence remains constitutionally sound<\/a> and does not infringe on Charter rights and freedoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of preserving the good faith religious defence, the amended Bill C-9 purports to add a “clarification”, namely that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

For greater certainty, nothing in subsection 319(2)<\/a> [wilful promotion of hatred] or (2.2) [wilful promotion of hatred – terrorism and hate symbols *new*] of the Criminal Code<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It is unclear how this clause provides any certainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Criminal Code<\/em><\/a> currently makes it an offence to “wilfully promote hatred against any identifiable group”. The new wording does not limit the offence or create a defence. It simply repeats, in a different form, the offence. Canadians can communicate on educational, religious, political or scientific matters if they do not wilfully promote hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CCCC Advocacy <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CCCC has actively engaged on this issue. We made submissions to the Justice Committee<\/a>, wrote directly to the Minister of Justice and sent a follow up letter to the Minister of Justice. As of this blog publication, no response has been forthcoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lack of response is disappointing. It is particularly disappointing when, during debte in the Commons, some MPs suggested that Bill C-9 is not concerning to religious communities. Some further suggest that religious Canadians and organizations misunderstand the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that is the case, we would welcome the opportunity for a conversation with the Minister. We would appreciate clear answers, especially about why removing the good faith religious defence should not be of concern to all Canadians, and specifically Canadians of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bill C-9 will now be scheduled for third reading<\/a>. Amendments can be proposed at this stage, and bills can be referred back to committee to reconsider certain clauses; however, third reading is more often a perfunctory step rather than substantive (re)consideration of the bill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Bill C-9, if voting at the report stage is any indication, it will pass third reading and move on to the Senate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are concerned about the Bill and its potential impact on your organization, our friends at EFC have prepared a helpful,\u00a0succinct summary<\/a>\u00a0on Bill C- 9 and offer recommendations for how to interact with your MP. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact CCCC<\/a> and be sure to subscribe to this blog for ongoing updates about Bill C-9. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Bill C-9<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

On Monday, March 23, the House of Commons voted to move Bill C-9 forward to third reading. MPs voted 188 in favour and 144 against. Standing Committee Report The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights tabled its report on Bill C-9 to the House of Commons. The “report” was… More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":38733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ts_fic_featured_image_caption":"A partial image of an open Bible. The Bible is open to Romans 5 and 6, with only the left-hand page visible. A ribbon bookmark dangles across the page and a shadow obscures the very bottom left-hand corner. Photo by Daniel Day Media<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[137],"tags":[437,759,138,141],"series":[761],"class_list":["post-38892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-advocacy","tag-c-9","tag-law-and-religion","tag-religious-freedom","series-proposed-criminal-code-amendments-that-could-impact-good-faith-religious-expression"],"yoast_head":"\nBill C-9: Moves Forward to Third Reading but Key Concerns Remain - CCCC Blogs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bill C-9 passes report stage, but concerns remain about amendments and removing the good faith religious defence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/legal\/2026\/03\/24\/bill-c-9-moves-forward-to-third-reading-but-key-concerns-remain\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bill C-9: Moves Forward to Third Reading but Key Concerns Remain - 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Before acting on the basis of information contained in this blog, readers should consult with a qualified lawyer for advice specific to their situation.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.cccc.org","simone.waller@cccc.org"],"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/author\/legal\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":38844,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/legal\/2026\/03\/09\/bill-c-9-motion-to-end-ongoing-debates\/","url_meta":{"origin":38892,"position":0},"title":"Bill C-9: Motion to End Ongoing Debates","author":"Deina Warren","date":"March 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE (March 17, 2026) \u2013 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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Advocacy\"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/advocacy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38900,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/legal\/2026\/03\/27\/bill-c-9-passes-third-reading-with-key-changes\/","url_meta":{"origin":38892,"position":1},"title":"Bill C-9: Passes Third Reading with Key Changes","author":"Deina Warren","date":"March 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On March 25, 2026, Bill C-9 the House of Commons passed Bill C-9 at third reading. Members of Parliament voted 186 in favour and 137 against. This marks a significant step toward Bill C-9 becoming law. It will now move to the Senate for further review and vote. As we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Advocacy\"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/advocacy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34450,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/legal\/2022\/06\/15\/update-on-private-shares-real-estate-donations-changes-proposed-by-bill-c-240\/","url_meta":{"origin":38892,"position":2},"title":"UPDATE on Private Shares, Real Estate & Donations: Changes Proposed by Bill C-240","author":"Deina Warren","date":"June 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this year we let you know about Bill C-240, the Supporting Canadian Charities Act. Bill C-240 was voted down at second reading. This private member\u2019s bill would have amended the Income Tax Act to waive capital gains tax on the arm\u2019s-length sale of private shares or real estate when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Charity law and policy"","block_context":{"text":"Charity law and policy","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/category\/charity-law-and-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/blog-images-1.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":38777,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/legal\/2026\/01\/21\/bill-c-9-impact-on-religious-expression-in-canada\/","url_meta":{"origin":38892,"position":3},"title":"Bill C-9: Impact on Religious Expression in Canada","author":"Deina Warren","date":"January 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE (January 28, 2026) \u2013 BILL C-9 ON HOLD On January 26, 2026, the Justice Committee voted to pause further debate on Bill C-9 in order to focus on Bill C-14. Bill C-14 is a bill that would limit access to bail for individuals with a history of violent offences.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Advocacy\"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/advocacy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26612,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2017\/11\/10\/mps-vote-to-keep-crimes-against-religion-in-criminal-code\/","url_meta":{"origin":38892,"position":4},"title":"MPs Vote To Amend “Crimes Against Religion” in Criminal Code","author":"cccc","date":"November 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Members of Parliament on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights not only voted to keep the \"Crimes Against Religion\" section (being section 176) of the Criminal Code but they decided to amend it.\u00a0 This is a positive development.\u00a0 The government felt that there was sufficient protection in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"religious freedom\"","block_context":{"text":"religious freedom","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/religious-freedom\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_0100-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":38731,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/legal\/2025\/12\/09\/bill-c-9-whats-at-stake-for-religious-expression\/","url_meta":{"origin":38892,"position":5},"title":"Bill C-9: What\u2019s at Stake for Religious Expression?","author":"Deina Warren","date":"December 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE (December 11) According to a December 10 report from\u00a0The Catholic Register, the Justice Committee met on December 9 and voted to repeal the good faith religious defence in section 319(3)(b) of the\u00a0Criminal Code. This development is deeply troubling\u2014especially in light of earlier comments from the former Justice Committee Chair\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Advocacy\"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/advocacy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Legal-2025.12.09.png?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p30X8p-a7i","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38892"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=38892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}