By Canadian Press

Government says only extreme online hate speech would be probed by human rights body

Mar 6, 2024 | 10:48 AM

OTTAWA — Government officials say online hate speech would have to portray a group as “inherently violent” or “unhuman” to meet the threshold to be probed by a human-rights tribunal under a newly proposed law. 

Justice officials briefed reporters today on the Criminal Code provisions in the government’s proposed bill to tackle online harms. 

Those changes have come under harsh criticism from civil liberties groups and legal experts who are voicing concerns about the potential to chill free speech. 

The bill seeks to introduce harsher penalties for existing hate propaganda offences and up to life imprisonment for advocating genocide. 

It also proposes to reintroduce a section of the Canadian Human Rights Act that would allow people to file complaints against those who post online hate speech. 

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Officials say it is an improved version of language that was removed under the former Conservative government of Stephen Harper. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Mar. 6. 2024. 

The Canadian Press