When MP Roman Baber rose in the House of Commons on 17 November to table Bill C-257, he was not just tinkering with legal technicalities. His proposal would create a new Criminal Code offence of “wilfully promoting a terrorist activity or a terrorist group,” punishable by up to five years in prison and classified as a terrorism offence. In plain language, Parliament is being asked whether glorifying terrorism from Canadian soil should itself be treated as a terrorism crime.
Supporters, including organizations such as the Canadian Jewish Law Association and B’nai Brith Canada, say the bill fills a dangerous gap exposed by rallies and online content that appear to praise Hamas and other listed entities. Critics worry about overreach and the chilling of legitimate protest.
Curtailing speech is always a double edged sword and our history with such measures typically results in attacks on Canadian heritage and values.
