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Government of Canada passes three pieces of legislation to fight crime 

In June,  the Government of Canada passed  three pieces of legislation designed to make Canada safer and protect Canadians from harm:

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Protecting Victims Act: Legislation that protects protect victims and survivors of sexual violence, gender-based violence, and intimate partner violence. Read More

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Combatting Hate Act: Legislation that ensures people can enter places of worship and other facilities without fear from intimidation or obstruction. Read More


Bail and Sentencing Reform Act: Legislation that tightens bail laws for repeat and violent offenders and introduces stricter "reverse-onus" rules for serious crimes such as extortion, auto theft, and certain assault offences. Read More

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Canada makes femicide first-degree murder as all three major Criminal Code reforms become law

One of the most consequential updates to Canada’s Criminal Code in generations to better protect victims and survivors is now law

June 19, 2026 – Ottawa, Ontario – Government of Canada
 

This article deals with topics that may cause distress. If you or someone close to you needs support, we encourage you to reach out. Resources are available at canada.ca/mental-health.
 

“Victims and survivors called for stronger protections from intimate partner violence and gender-based violence. Those protections are now law,” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. The Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16) received Royal Assent yesterday, as the Government of Canada continues to move with urgency to better protect victims and survivors, ensure abusers face the full force of the law, and deliver on its commitment to strengthen the Criminal Code.
 

This is one of the most consequential reforms of the Criminal Code in a generation to protect victims and survivors of sexual violence, gender-based violence, and intimate partner violence. These changes confront the rise in coercive control, respond to the growing violence women are facing, make femicide first-degree murder, strengthen victims’ rights, respond to modern threats like non-consensual sexual deepfakes, and address long-standing concerns about court delays that can leave victims without resolution. The law also includes new measures to keep kids safe from predators and strengthen mandatory minimum penalties.

Stop intimate partner violence and femicide
 

The law gives the justice system stronger tools to intervene earlier to sexual violence, gender-based, and intimate partner violence before that violence turns fatal. More specifically, the changes:

  • make femicide first degree murder, the most serious homicide offence

  • create a new offence of coercive control in intimate relationships, targeting patterns of threats, isolation, or manipulation before violence escalates

  • update criminal harassment provisions to make them easier to prove in court

  • make it a crime to threaten to distribute non-consensual intimate images, including sexual deepfakes

  • increase the maximum penalty for sexual assault on summary conviction, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, and voyeurism
     

Strengthen victims’ rights and give clear guidance on court delays

For many victims and survivors, the court process itself can be overwhelming and retraumatizing. When cases drag on or are stayed because of procedural delays, victims are left without closure and justice is not served. These changes will help victims feel safer in court, reduce trauma, and ensure they are treated with dignity throughout a process they should never have to endure. More specifically, the changes:

  • give courts clearer guidance on how to manage and address court delays, including in sexual assault cases

  • strengthen victims’ rights to be treated with respect and have their interests in a timely trial considered

  • improve victims’ access to information about their case

  • make testimonial aids more accessible so victims and survivors can participate in the justice process with better support

  • strengthen all Mandatory Minimum Penalties (MMPs) of imprisonment in the Criminal Code
     

In less than a year, Canada’s new government has delivered one of the most ambitious criminal justice reform agendas in recent memory, with three major bills to strengthen protections against hate crimes, make bail laws stricter and toughen sentences, better protect victims and survivors, and keep kids safe from predators.
 

As threats evolve, the Government of Canada will continue to move with urgency to strengthen Canada’s laws and keep Canadians safe.

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Combatting Hate Act: Legislation to protect communities against hate

Rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia have left too many people feeling unsafe in their own communities. On June 18, 2026, the Combatting Hate Act received Royal Assent. This law will better protect access to places of worship, as well as schools, community centres and other specified places, and more clearly addresses and denounces hate-motivated crime.

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These reforms will come into force on July 18, 2026.

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The Act has amended the Criminal Code to:

  • make it a crime to intimidate and obstruct people from accessing places of worship, as well as schools, community centres and other places primarily used by an identifiable group

  • make hate motivated crime a specific offence, ensuring such conduct is more clearly denounced and that offenders are held accountable

  • define “hatred” to clarify what conduct constitutes a hate crime

  • make it a crime to wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group by displaying certain terrorism or hate symbols in public, namely symbols principally used by or associated with listed terrorist entities under the Criminal Code, two Nazi symbols, or a noose

 

Additional Resources

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Intimidation offence

The intimidation offence makes it a crime to engage in any conduct with the intent to make someone afraid, in order to prevent them from accessing a religious or cultural institution and other specified places. This could include threats, acts of violence, or other intimidating behaviour.

The offence is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, or two years less a day for less serious offences.

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Obstruction offence

The obstruction offence makes it a crime to intentionally block or interfere with another person’s lawful access to the same places. This includes, for example, deliberately blocking doors, driveways, or roads that are used to get to religious or cultural centres, or not allowing a person to enter those places.

The offence is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, or two years less a day for less serious offences.

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Places protected by the new intimidation and obstruction offences

The intimidation and obstruction offences protect buildings or structures that are:

  • primarily used for religious worship (e.g., synagogues, mosques, churches, temples and gurdwaras) or cemeteries.

  • primarily used by an “identifiable group”, for administrative, social, cultural, or sports activity purposes, as an educational institution, or as a seniors’ residence.

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“Identifiable group” is defined as groups distinguished by colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or mental or physical disability.

Respecting Charter rights to free expression and peaceful assembly

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The Act is carefully designed to make sure that it does not apply to people who are simply communicating information, peacefully protesting, or otherwise not engaging in criminal activity around religious and cultural centres and other specified places. These changes do not prohibit protest, assembly or unreasonably affect an individual’s freedom to voice their concerns in a safe and peaceful manner.

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Hate crime offence

The hate crime offence applies to anyone committing a federal offence that is motivated by hatred based on specific grounds, such as race, sexual orientation, religion or sex.

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The escalating penalty structure for the new hate crime offence reflects the harm caused by the illegal act, providing higher maximum penalties for more serious crimes. For example, the offence of uttering threats carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment on indictment (a criminal charge for more serious crimes). If prosecuted under the new hate crime offence, the maximum penalty would increase to 10 years on indictment. Sentencing courts must impose a penalty that reflects the seriousness of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender.

New hate propaganda offence targeting display of hate or terrorism symbols

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The Criminal Code previously contained four hate propaganda offences. The Act creates a new, fifth hate propaganda offence that makes it a crime to wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group by publicly displaying the following terrorism or hate symbols:

 

Public display of such symbols for legitimate purposes, such as educational, artistic or journalistic purposes are not captured by this offence.

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Repeal of “Good Faith Religious Opinion” defence

Previously, the Criminal Code included a specific defence for certain hate propaganda offences when the accused claimed they were expressing, in good faith, an opinion on a religious subject or a belief based on a religious text. This was commonly referred to as the “good faith religious opinion” defence. The law repeals this specific defence.

The repeal of this defence does not criminalize religious expression, which is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. It does not limit anyone’s ability to express religious beliefs in good faith.

The repeal of this defence does not change the narrow scope of conduct captured by these offences, which still require a clear, intention to promote hatred or antisemitism. Religious sermons, texts and teachings communicated in good faith, such as preaching, or scriptural readings would not meet this standard.

To reinforce this understanding, the law includes new clarification clauses to confirm that the offences only capture statements communicated to intentionally promote hatred or antisemitism.

 

Definition of “hatred”

The law adds a definition of “hatred” to the Criminal Code that is based on Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence currently followed by courts. The law defines hatred as an emotion of an intense and extreme nature that is clearly associated with vilification and detestation. The law also specifies what is not hatred – namely, acts that solely humiliate, discredit, hurt or offend.

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Adding the definition of “hatred” to the Criminal Code clarifies when conduct constitutes a hate crime, promoting a more consistent application of these offences in the criminal justice system.

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Bail and Sentencing Reform: Legislation that tightens bail laws for repeat and violent offenders

The Bail and Sentencing Reform Act makes reforms to strengthen community safety and Canada’s criminal justice system.

Stricter bail laws

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The Act strengthens bail laws. Specifically, the changes:

  • make bail harder to get for those accused of repeat and violent offending by creating new reverse onus rules in certain cases, meaning the accused must show why they should be released

  • direct police to detain an accused for a bail hearing when it is necessary to protect the public, including victims and witnesses

  • require courts to consider more factors at bail hearings, including whether the allegations involve violence that was random or unprovoked

  • require courts to consider whether the accused has numerous or serious outstanding charges when determining whether to grant them bail

  • require courts to consider weapons bans in more cases

  • require courts to look more closely at an accused person’s bail plan when a reverse onus applies; and

  • prohibit courts from naming anyone as a surety (someone who supervises a person who is out on bail) who was convicted of a serious criminal offence in the past 10 years, unless no other suitable surety is available

 

Tougher sentencing laws

People convicted of serious crimes may now spend more time in prison. More specifically, the changes:

  • require consecutive sentences for violent auto theft and break and enter

  • require consecutive sentences for extortion and arson

  • require judges to consider consecutive sentences for repeat violent offending

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The law also creates new aggravating factors for courts to consider in cases involving:

  • crimes against first responders

  • crimes against public transit workers

  • organized retail theft

  • mischief and theft that damage essential infrastructure

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The law also:

  • ends house arrest for certain sexual assault and child sexual offences

  • restores driving bans for manslaughter and criminal negligence causing bodily harm or death

  • strengthens fine enforcement

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