Freedom of Speech

Liberal MPs on the justice and human rights committee voted Tuesday evening to approve a controversial Bloc Québécois amendment to Bill C-9 that removes the religious speech defence from Canada’s hate speech law.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to retract the Liberal Party’s reported agreement with the Bloc Québécois to remove religious-belief exemptions from Canada’s hate speech laws.

A piece of legislation drawing concern from various civil liberty groups and online rights organizations over the potential threats it poses to individual Canadians’ telephone and Internet access passed second reading in the House of Commons on Oct. 3.

Catholic bishops and public officials are calling for prayer following the apparent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who died after being shot Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Archbishop Christian Lépine said the “plural dimension of our society must be respected” and it would be “good for the overall health of the country” if there was a conscious rededication to valuing the peaceful coexistence of diverse cultures and belief systems.

Has Sean Feucht left Canada yet? I suppose the bigger question is: Would anyone have known he was even here if CBC hadn’t launched an all-out crusade against the Christian singer?

At the start of final submissions in his landmark trial, Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was provided with medication and a heart monitor Aug. 18, after health concerns had delayed proceedings the previous week.

Defenders of religious expression in the Canadian public square are fighting back following the cancellation of a number of concerts by an American faith-based musician.

A group of parliamentarians was recently thwarted in its efforts to see a motion passed in the House of Commons to grant honorary Canadian citizenship to Jimmy Lai, the prominent Catholic political prisoner jailed for his role in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests.

After its first-annual pro-life banquet dinner was cancelled by Delta Hotels Quebec following threats from pro-choice activists and movements just three days before the city’s March for Life, Quebec Life Coalition is now looking to adapt how it operates future events in the face of ongoing local push back.