Couillard government to rework hate speech bill

Quebec Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee during question period on October 30, 2014 at the legislature in Quebec City. (Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The Couillard government is heading back to the drawing board on Bill 59.

After parliamentary consultation on the anti-hate speech bill, the Justice Minister admitted Wednesday that certain aspects of the bill need to be more clearly defined.

Many critics have said the bill's attempt to crack down on hate speech effectively risks making it illegally to criticize any religion. At the same time they said the proposed law would give too much power to the Human Rights Commission to define what constituted hate speech.

A portion of the bill granting Quebec's youth and human rights commission the right to compile and publish "black lists" of hate-speech violators will be revisited.

The bill is also meant to crack down on forced arranged marriages and honour crimes.