C-250An Act to amend the Criminal Code (prohibition — promotion of antisemitism)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on February 9, 2022
- Status
- Defeated at second reading in the House of Commons
What it does
Adds a Criminal Code offence for publicly promoting antisemitism by condoning, denying, or downplaying the Holocaust.
What it does
- Adds a Criminal Code offence for communicating statements, other than in private conversation, that wilfully promote antisemitism by condoning, denying, or downplaying the Holocaust.
- Sets the penalty for that offence at up to two years in prison on indictment, or a summary conviction offence.
- Applies the section 319 defences and the Attorney General consent rule to the new offence.
- Allows forfeiture of anything used to commit the offence and applies the same communication-facility seizure rules used for other section 319 offences.
- Defines "Holocaust" as the planned and deliberate state-sponsored persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by the Nazis and their collaborators from 1933 to 1945.
Who it affects
- People who make public statements
- People accused of hate propaganda offences
- Courts
- Provincial attorneys general
Background
The bill amends section 319 of the Criminal Code. It adds a new definition of Holocaust to that section.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Defeated here. Defeated
Committee
Not reached.
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
No recorded votes yet
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalAnthony Housefather· April 27, 2022
“I support this bill or whatever frame this bill takes, because it is so important to not allow people in Canada to minimize or to deny the Holocaust. It is a historical truth.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeKevin Waugh· April 27, 2022
“I am honoured today to rise and speak to Bill C-250, an act to amend the Criminal Code, prohibition—promotion of anti-Semitism, which is my private member's bill. Bill C-250 is modelled on subsection 319(2), “Wilful promotion of hatred”, in the Canadian Criminal Code.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocRhéal Fortin· April 27, 2022
“I read that out to illustrate that Bill C-250 is part of that process. Bill C‑250 is not perfect, but it is part of that process.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPBlake Desjarlais· April 27, 2022
“I would like to begin my remarks today by thanking all members of the House for ensuring that we have a meaningful debate about the meaning and importance of today, about Holocaust remembrance in particular and about how important this bill truly is.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Bill not proceeded with. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.