Justice minister says he's open to changing online harms bill

Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani said Friday he's open to amending the government's long-awaited legislation aimed at protecting Canadians from online harms, while the Opposition Conservatives say the Liberals should instead move faster by modernizing existing laws.

On Friday, Virani defended the Online Harms Act in the House of Commons for the first time since he tabled the legislation back in February.

Since then, legal and privacy experts, as well as civil society advocates, have voiced concerns about its potential to limit free speech.

The bill would impose stiffer Criminal Code punishments for hate-related offences. The legislation would allow for sentences ranging up to life imprisonment for advocating genocide and would give a judge the power to restrict someone's movements if they have evidence that person could commit a hate crime.

The bill also establishes a new way for Canadians to file human rights complaints about hate speech.

«Canadians should not be expected to have their right to protected speech chilled or limited in order to be safe online,» said Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner.

Virani defended those measures by underlining how online hate «has real world consequences,» but said he's open to suggestions from opposition parties.

Some advocates have suggested the government section off the controversial Criminal Code and Human Rights Act changes into a separate bill, and leave the Online Harms Act to deal exclusively with online content. Virani dismissed the idea.

«I want to be very clear about the Online Harms Act and what it does not do,» he said in his speech on Friday.

«It does not undermine freedom of speech. It enhances free expression by empowering all people to safely participate in online