Liberals agree to hit pause on hate crimes bill and prioritize tougher bail bill

OTTAWA — The Liberal government has agreed to prioritize the passage of its bail legislation by hitting pause on getting its hate crime bill through the legislative process.

The justice committee passed a motion Monday to stop the clause-by-clause study on the hate crime bill, C-9, in order to focus on the bail bill, C-14.

It’s a move the Conservative Party has been pushing for, following an agreement between the Liberals and Bloc Québécois to amend Bill C-9.

That amendment would remove a religious exemption on hate speech from the Criminal Code.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the amendment an assault on freedom of expression and religion.

Among other measures, Bill C-9 would create new crimes of obstruction and intimidation to protect places of worship, while Bill C-14 would make bail more difficult for a variety of crimes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press