<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><Bill bill-origin="commons" bill-type="private-public" xml:lang="en" date-time="2023-04-27 15:48:04"><Identification><BillNumber>C-254</BillNumber><Parliament><Session>1</Session><Number>45</Number><RegnalYear><Year-s>3-4</Year-s><Monarch>Charles III</Monarch></RegnalYear><Year-s>2025</Year-s></Parliament><LongTitle>An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples)</LongTitle><ShortTitle status="unofficial" /><RunningHead>An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples)</RunningHead><BillHistory><Stages stage="first-reading-house"><Date><YYYY>2025</YYYY><MM>10</MM><DD>31</DD></Date></Stages></BillHistory><BillSponsor><Emphasis style="smallcaps">Ms. Gazan</Emphasis></BillSponsor><BillRefNumber date-time="2023-04-27">451100</BillRefNumber></Identification><Introduction><Summary><TitleText>SUMMARY</TitleText><Provision><Text>This enactment amends the <XRefExternal reference-type="act">Criminal Code</XRefExternal> to create an offence of wilfully promoting hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying or justifying the Indian residential school system in Canada through statements communicated other than in private conversation.</Text></Provision></Summary><Enacts><Provision><Text>His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent <Keep>of the</Keep> Senate and House of Commons of Canada, <Keep>enacts</Keep> as follows:</Text></Provision></Enacts></Introduction><Body><Heading level="1"><MarginalNote><HistoricalNote>R.S., c. C-46</HistoricalNote></MarginalNote><TitleText>Criminal Code</TitleText></Heading><Section type="amending"><Label>1</Label><Subsection><Label>(1)</Label><Text>Section 319 of the <XRefExternal reference-type="act">Criminal Code</XRefExternal> is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):</Text><AmendedText><Subsection change="ins"><MarginalNote>Wilful promotion of hatred — Indigenous peoples</MarginalNote><Label>(2.01)</Label><Text>Everyone who, by communicating statements, other than in private conversation, wilfully promotes hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying or justifying the Indian residential school system in Canada or by misrepresenting facts relating to it</Text><Paragraph><Label>(a)</Label><Text>is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; or</Text></Paragraph><Paragraph><Label>(b)</Label><Text>is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.</Text></Paragraph></Subsection></AmendedText></Subsection><Subsection type="amending"><Label>(2)</Label><Text>Section 319 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (3.1):</Text><AmendedText><Subsection change="ins"><MarginalNote>Defences — subsection (2.01)</MarginalNote><Label>(3.11)</Label><Text>No person shall be convicted of an offence under subsection (2.01)</Text><Paragraph><Label>(a)</Label><Text>if they establish that the statements communicated were true;</Text></Paragraph><Paragraph><Label>(b)</Label><Text>if, in good faith, they expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text;</Text></Paragraph><Paragraph><Label>(c)</Label><Text>if the statements were relevant to any subject of public interest, the discussion of which was for the public benefit, and if on reasonable grounds they believed them to be true; or</Text></Paragraph><Paragraph><Label>(d)</Label><Text>if, in good faith, they intended to point out, for the purpose of removal, matters producing or tending to produce feelings of hatred toward Indigenous peoples.</Text></Paragraph></Subsection></AmendedText></Subsection><Subsection type="amending"><Label>(3)</Label><Text>Subsections 319(4) to (6) of the Act are replaced by the following:</Text><AmendedText><Subsection><MarginalNote>Forfeiture</MarginalNote><Label>(4)</Label><Text>If a person is convicted of an offence under subsection (1), (2), <Ins>(2.01)</Ins>, or (2.1) or section 318, anything by means of or in relation to which the offence was committed, on such conviction, may, in addition to any other punishment imposed, be ordered by the presiding provincial court judge or judge to be forfeited to <Ins>His</Ins> Majesty in right of the province in which that person is convicted, for disposal as the Attorney General may direct.</Text></Subsection><Subsection><MarginalNote>Exemption from seizure of communication facilities</MarginalNote><Label>(5)</Label><Text>Subsections 199(6) and (7) apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, to subsection (1), (2), <Ins>(2.01)</Ins>, or (2.1) or section 318.</Text></Subsection><Subsection><MarginalNote>Consent</MarginalNote><Label>(6)</Label><Text>No proceeding for an offence under subsection (2), <Ins>(2.01)</Ins> or (2.1) shall be instituted without the consent of the Attorney General.</Text></Subsection></AmendedText></Subsection><Subsection type="amending"><Label>(4)</Label><Text>Subsection 319(7) of the Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:</Text><AmendedText><SectionPiece><Definition change="ins"><Text><DefinedTermEn>Indigenous peoples</DefinedTermEn> has the meaning assigned by the definition <DefinitionRef>aboriginal peoples of Canada</DefinitionRef> in subsection 35(2) of the <XRefExternal reference-type="act">Constitution Act, 1982</XRefExternal>. (<DefinedTermFr>peuples autochtones</DefinedTermFr>)</Text></Definition></SectionPiece></AmendedText></Subsection></Section><Heading level="1"><TitleText>Coordinating Amendment</TitleText></Heading><Section type="amending"><MarginalNote>Bill C-9</MarginalNote><Label>2</Label><Text>If Bill C-9, introduced in the 1st session of the 45th Parliament and entitled the <XRefExternal reference-type="act">Combatting Hate Act</XRefExternal>, receives royal assent, then, on the first day on which both subsection 4(2) of that Act and subsection 1(3) of this Act are in force, subsections 319(4) to (6) of the <XRefExternal reference-type="act">Criminal Code</XRefExternal> are replaced by the following:</Text><AmendedText><Subsection><MarginalNote>Forfeiture</MarginalNote><Label>(4)</Label><Text>If a person is convicted of an offence under subsection (1), (2), (2.01), (2.1) or (2.2) or section 318, anything by means of or in relation to which the offence was committed, on such conviction, may, in addition to any other punishment imposed, be ordered by the presiding provincial court judge or judge to be forfeited to His Majesty in right of the province in which that person is convicted, for disposal as the Attorney General may direct.</Text></Subsection><Subsection><MarginalNote>Exemption from seizure of communication facilities</MarginalNote><Label>(5)</Label><Text>Subsections 199(6) and (7) apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, to subsection (1), (2), (2.01), (2.1) or (2.2) or section 318.</Text></Subsection><Subsection><MarginalNote>Consent</MarginalNote><Label>(6)</Label><Text>No proceeding for an offence under subsection (2), (2.01), (2.1) or (2.2) shall be instituted without the consent of the Attorney General.</Text></Subsection></AmendedText></Section></Body></Bill>