Overview of the Religious Belief Defence in Canada Proposed Changes to Canada’s Hate Crime Law

Federal politics is reacting to the Liberals’ agreement with the Bloc Québécois to revise hate crime laws, specifically removing the religious belief defence against promoting hate. This change raises concerns from civil society and religious groups about potential legal risks for the faithful and the chilling effect on religious discourse. The good faith religious belief defence has rarely been successfully used in court, with only one noted failed attempt by Mark Harding in 1998. Wilful promotion of hate remains a politically contentious issue, with limited prosecutions and convictions since its inception in Canada’s hate law regime.

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