In the News: Canada’s Blasphemy Law May Soon be History

Bill would reform Criminal Code provisions on rape shield, 3rd-party records, Cristin Schmitz, The Lawyer’s Daily, 2017-06-06

Excellent news: with Draft Bill C-51, Canada’s blasphemy law may soon be gone!

The proposed legislation would repeal several offences enacted decades ago, deemed obsolete and/or redundant, including:

• Challenging someone to a duel (s. 71);
• Advertising a reward for the return of stolen property with “no questions asked” (s. 143);
• Possessing, printing, distributing or publishing crime comics (para. 163(1)(b));
• Publishing blasphemous libel (s. 296);
• Fraudulently pretending to practise witchcraft (s. 365); and,
• Issuing trading stamps (s. 427).

Now we need is to repeal:

1. Motion M-103, et
2. the religious exception in the hate propaganda law.

See also:

• Canadian government bill could repeal “obsolete” law on “blasphemous libel”, End Blasphemy Laws Worldwide, 2017-06-07