‘Not going to be able to police our way out of hate,’ says Elghawaby amid new hate crime bill

Amira Elghawaby speaks about the importance of the new bill to tackle hate-related crime in Canada.

The federal government has introduced legislation to strengthen protections against hate-motivated crimes, including new Criminal Code offences aimed at curbing public intimidation, hate symbols, and violence targeting identifiable communities.

The Combatting Hate Act, tabled by Justice Minister Sean Fraser, proposes four new hate-related offences and removes procedural barriers for laying existing charges. The bill is part of a broader federal response to a documented rise in hate crimes across the country.

Fraser says the legislation is designed to make existing hate laws more enforceable while protecting the constitutional right to free expression.

• Liberals’ new hate crime bill targets ‘symbols’ of hate

“We’ve taken great pains to ensure that the legislation respects the right of Canadians to free expression and also that it empowers law enforcement and prosecutors to actually lay charges,” he said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Saturday.

“By ensuring that we remove barriers … and giving a clear definition for hatred in the Criminal Code, we believe that law enforcement and Crown prosecutors will actually be able to deal with crimes when they see them in their streets.”

The legislation comes amid growing concern over hate crimes in Canada. According to federal data, police-reported hate crimes increased in 2024, with most targeting religion, race, or ethnicity. Black, Jewish, and Muslim communities were the most frequently targeted groups.

Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, says the bill responds to long-standing calls from communities across the country that have experienced hate in many forms.

• Mixed reactions as Liberals table hate crime bill

“Addressing hate, all forms of hate, including antisemitism, anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, anti-Indigenous racism, is critical and crucial,” she said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Saturday. “It is important that we, as a society, address it in order to ensure that every Canadian feels they belong and does not have to worry about their personal safety.”

Elghawaby said one of the most significant changes is the creation of a standalone hate crime offence, which could apply to a broad range of incidents, from vandalism to threats or violence, if motivated by bias or prejudice.

“That is something that we have heard communities say would be extremely helpful … to ensure that any type of criminal offence that is motivated by hate … would be getting the criminal charges laid quickly and not be an after-the-fact consideration, as it currently is,” she said.

Elghawaby also acknowledged concerns from some Canadians who fear potential overreach by law enforcement.

“These are legitimate concerns that communities are making,” she said. “The federal government has signaled that they are ready to have that input from community about how all of this is going to impact on people’s well-being and safety.”

She added that addressing hate must go beyond criminal law.

“We are not going to be able to police our way out of hate,” she said. “We are going to have to think about comprehensive ways to talk about why we are seeing this increasing rise in division and polarization.”

With files from the Canadian Press