Online Harms Bill C63: Life in Jail for 'Hate' Speech? -Bruce Pardy, Lawyer

Online harms Bill C-63 "is a terrible bill. It needs to be defeated...detrimental to our free speech and to the welfare of the country," says Bruce Pardy, Lawyer and Executive Director of Rights Probe.Show more

"Everyone who commits an offense under this act...is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for life."

In an eye-opening interview with Bruce Pardy, the stark realities of the Trudeau government's Bill C-63, also known as the online harms bill, were laid bare. Introduced on February 26th, the bill has stirred considerable controversy, primarily for its potential to severely curtail freedoms long cherished by Canadians. Pardy, a vocal critic of government overreach, shared his insights into how this bill, if passed, could fundamentally alter the Canadian landscape of free speech and civil liberties.

Bill C-63 aims to address online harms, particularly those targeted at children, by implementing measures that, on the surface, seem to protect the vulnerable. However, as Pardy elucidates, the devil is in the details. One of the bill's most alarming aspects is the introduction of amendments to the criminal code, potentially subjecting individuals to life imprisonment for crimes committed with "hate." The term "hate" is worryingly undefined, leaving its interpretation open and subjective, which could lead to draconian enforcement for what might be considered regular discourse.

Moreover, the bill proposes changes to the Canadian Human Rights Code, setting dangerous precedents by introducing hefty fines – $50,000 to the government and $20,000 to victims – for violations deemed as hate speech. Another contentious point raised by Pardy involves the provision allowing anonymous complaints, effectively setting up a "snitch line on steroids" that could embolden malicious accusations without accountability.

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