Liberals to table censorship bill, reviving “online hate” law concerns

Justice Minister Sean Fraser revealed Tuesday the Liberal government is set to table new “hate” legislation within days, potentially resurrecting elements of the controversial, defunct Bill C-63.

Source: Heute.at

Justice Minister Sean Fraser revealed Tuesday the Liberal government is set to table new “hate” legislation within days, potentially resurrecting elements of the controversial, defunct Bill C-63 which civil liberties advocates decried as an attack on free speech.

“We expect to have potentially several pieces of legislation during this fall sitting,” said Fraser.

“The first that we intend to introduce will make good on the campaign commitments that we've put forward with respect to obstruction, intimidation of those attending religious institutions or buildings. We intend to take it a step further to address hate more broadly in our communities.”

He said the legislation would be tabled within days.

Fraser said bail reform, tougher sentences for violent crimes and online protections for children will follow later this fall.

Conservative MP Larry Brock previously showcased that even the government admits regulations could take years to develop.

“Even the justice minister himself, the bill's biggest advocate, the cheerleader to this failed Liberal government, admitted that it would take years for this bureaucracy to create and enforce regulations,” said Brock of former justice minister Arif Virani.

Virani previously defended the bill, insisting some provisions could take effect quickly.

“There are amendments that change the Canadian Human Rights Act and the amendments to the Criminal Code. The latter two provisions can come into effect much more quickly, and those target the specific amounts of division and hatred that we're seeing in Canadian society now. So there's good reason to proceed with pace on this legislation,” said Virani.

Bill C-63 was never abolished. The first reading was passed through Parliament prior to former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s prorogation.

The Democracy Fund, a Canadian charity dedicated to preserving constitutional rights, previously warned about a potential online censorship bill from the Liberals after Fraser confirmed he hoped to introduce parts of the Online Harms Act, Bill C-63.

“While addressing legitimate concerns surrounding child exploitation and terrorism, the Bill added provisions to the Criminal Code for various speech crimes, making it a criminal offence to publish ill-defined ‘harmful content,’" said the TDF.

They warned that such a bill could lead to “mass surveillance and censorship.”

The warning comes despite the Liberals caving to criticism that the aspects about sex crimes and protecting children online should be separate from the more controversial aspects, which curtail free expression.

The Liberals separated the two components of the bill after critiques from figures like Elon Musk, Jordan Peterson, and even Margaret Atwood, who all warned that the law would obliterate the right of Canadians to speak freely.

Lawyer Ezra Levant highlighted how a similar approach is going over in the United Kingdom.

“A 32-year-old UK father has been jailed for 30 months for saying ‘who the f-ck is Allah’ and arguing with police,” said Levant. “This is a two-tier justice system. Favoured political groups, like Hamas, say worse with impunity. Even rapists get less time in jail.”