Toronto: Prosecutors with the Canadian province of Ontario will now have a dedicated hate crime unit, after a mention in that regard was approved unanimously by the provincial parliament.
The private member’s motion was moved by Michelle Cooper, and was passed on April 16. Following its passage, Cooper posted on X, “A meaningful step forward in the fight against hate. Following debate, my Private Member’s Motion to establish a dedicated hate crime Crown prosecution unit has passed with unanimous support from all parties.”
Ontario’s Attorney General Doug Downey described it as just the “latest step” in the provincial government’s plan to “prevent hate-motivated crimes, and hold offenders accountable”.
While some law enforcement detachments in the province, including Toronto Police and Peel Regional Police, have dedicated units focusing on hate crime, that was not the case with the prosecution service.
In a release before the motion was debated in the provincial legislature, Cooper said, “Hate-motivated violence is on the rise across Ontario, with deeply concerning impacts on communities targeted because of their religion, race, identity, or background.”
“At a time when hate crimes are increasing, targeted and coordinated action is essential,” she pointed out.
Welcoming the motion’s adoption, the Canadian chapter of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said, “This ‘gap’ is where many cases get weakened or dropped. This new unit should help bridge that gap. Now cases involving hate will be potentially handled by prosecutors who are specifically trained to understand modern forms of prejudice and hate. This specialised team will ensure that hate crimes are evaluated and prosecuted more effectively and consistently across the province.”
Unlike larger forces like those in Toronto and the Peel Region, which includes the towns of Brampton and Mississauga in the Greater Toronto Area, smaller townships do not have dedicated hate crime units and that’s where the prosecution can play a constructive role.
“Right now, many incidents involving hate or bias against groups, including Hindu Canadians, don’t end up with actual hate crime charges,” CoHNA Canada said, adding that though there was an existing Attorney General’s Hate Crime Working Group which provided “valuable insight”, it lacked “the authority to actually take cases to court or make final decisions.”
The measure was greeted by the Canadian Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which said, “This is a recognition from all parties that hate crimes need to be dealt with in a strong and coordinated way across the whole justice system, from police through to the courts.”
