Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
A controversial piece of legislation that would remove the religious defence to hate speech from the Criminal Code has been stuck in committee for several months, but now looks set to pass quickly.
Bill C-9, known as the Combatting Hate Act, would create new criminal offences targeting intimidation and the obstruction of access to places of worship. It would also introduce a separate offence for intentionally promoting hatred through the public display of certain symbols, such as Nazi, Hamas, or Hezbollah flags.
