This House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights meeting was convened to study Bill C-9, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places). The committee heard from a panel of witnesses on Bill C-9, followed by a second panel on bail and sentencing reform, and also debated a motion related to a Supreme Court of Canada decision on mandatory minimum sentences for child sexual exploitation offences.
DeRico Symonds, from the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute, argued that Bill C-9's framework is too narrow, particularly for Black Canadians, and omits the noose as a prohibited hate symbol. He recommended expanding the definition of prohibited hate symbols to include the noose and KKK insignia, listing the KKK as a terrorist organization, establishing independent community advisory panels, and conducting meaningful consultation with Black communities. He also warned that removing the Attorney General's signing authority for hate-related designations could lead to systemic racial bias in enforcement.
Christine Van Geyn, from the Canadian Constitution Foundation, argued that Bill C-9 expands criminal law into expression in ways that risk unjustified charter violations. She recommended Parliament withdraw the bill, or alternatively, that the definition of "hatred" mirror the Supreme Court's standard, that Attorney General consent for hate propaganda charges be retained, that the new stand-alone hate crime offence be removed, and that existing defences for religious expression be preserved. She disagreed with the bill's approach to criminalizing hate symbols and creating new intimidation offences.
Lucia Flores Echaiz and Lynda Khelil, from the Ligue des droits et libertés, argued that Bill C-9 represents an unjustifiable infringement on freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association. They raised concerns about the codified definition of hatred lowering the Supreme Court's threshold, the new offence for displaying symbols linked to terrorist entities being overly broad and arbitrary, and the new intimidation and obstruction offences being vague and potentially criminalizing peaceful protest. They also opposed removing the Attorney General's consent requirement and creating a new hate-motivated offence.
Kyla Lee, from the Canadian Bar Association, supported the bill's intent but raised concerns about several provisions. She recommended removing or redrafting the proposed subsection on the definition of hatred to avoid ambiguity, more precisely defining "obstruction" and "interference" in the new intimidation offence to protect peaceful protest, and requiring proof that a hate symbol was displayed for the purpose of promoting hatred. She also argued that leaving the determination of prohibited symbols to regulation is inadequate and requires full parliamentary debate.
Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton, testified that Canada's bail system is "tragically broken," citing cases of preventable tragedies and statistics showing 66% of firearm offenders in Peel region were released on bail. He urged the committee to pass bail reform legislation as quickly as possible, stating that lives are at stake, and welcomed amendments to strengthen it. He did not disagree with any other witness.
Robert Johnson, Deputy Chief of the Toronto Police Service, supported bail reforms, including modifying tertiary grounds for bail denial and classifying shootings in congregate settings as first-degree murder. He noted that the overwhelming majority of crime guns in Toronto come from the United States and emphasized the need for a whole-of-system approach. He did not disagree with any other witness.
Jacqueline Beisel-Cobb, speaking as an individual, testified about the murder of her daughter Madison by an ex-boyfriend who was released on bail despite having criminal harassment charges and a firearm. She urged Parliament to enact stronger consequences for repeat offenders and those who breach protective orders, and called for mandatory evaluations and monitoring of offenders. She stated that Bill C-14 does not go far enough.
Cait Alexander, from End Violence Everywhere, testified that the bail regime is producing more victims and that the system protects abusers over victims. She called for making the sex offender list public, understanding the psychology of abusers, and treating strangulation charges as a high-risk factor requiring detention. She also urged the resurrection of Bill C-332 on coercive control and amendments to the Jordan rule and section 278 of the Criminal Code. She disagreed with the government's approach, stating that Bill C-14 will not work.
Brett Broadfoot, speaking as an individual, testified about the murder of his daughter Breanna by a partner who was released on bail after a strangulation assault. He argued that the system failed his family and called for immediate monitoring of violent offenders, such as ankle monitors, rather than waiting for court dates. He stated that Bill C-14 does not address the risks posed by violent repeat offenders.
Lozanne Wamback, from the Canadian Crime Victim Foundation, testified about the ongoing trauma and lack of support for victims and their families, including insufficient psychological help and the difficulty of finding funding for victim-initiated groups. She criticized the bail, parole and sentencing system for allowing offenders to reoffend and argued that victims receive a life sentence while offenders do not.
The committee also debated a motion from Larry Brock regarding the Supreme Court's decision on mandatory minimum sentences for child sexual exploitation offences. After extensive debate, including a subamendment from Andrew Lawton and an amendment from Patricia Lattanzio, the committee agreed to an amendment from Rhéal Éloi Fortin to remove the word "incorrectly" from the motion. The meeting was then suspended to reconvene at a later date.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.