MPs move to keep religious protections in Criminal Code clean-up efforts
OTTAWA — Disrupting a religious service is likely to remain a crime, since MPs on the House of Commons justice committee have agreed to change a controversial part of proposed legislation aimed at modernizing the Criminal Code.
This spring, the Liberal government moved to rid the Criminal Code of sections that are redundant or obsolete, including those which involve challenging someone to a duel or fraudulently pretending to practice witchcraft.
One of the changes proposed in Bill C-51 would have removed Section 176, which makes it a crime to use threat or force to obstruct a clergyman or minister from celebrating a worship service or carrying out any other duty related to his job.
That came under heavy criticism from a number of major religious groups, including the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and B’nai Brith Canada, who urged MPs on the committee to keep that section in the Code.