Ontario launches specialized hate crime prosecution unit

The Ontario government has established the province’s first specialized unit dedicated to prosecuting hate crimes. The initiative aims to address systemic gaps in how bias-motivated offenses are handled within the court system.

Under the new program, experienced crown prosecutors have been assigned to work across Ontario’s six regions. These specialists will collaborate with police departments both before and after charges are laid to ensure complex hate speech and hate-motivated cases are supported by sufficient evidence.

The move follows a motion introduced by Progressive Conservative MPP Michelle Cooper, which received unanimous support in Parliament. The initiative comes amid statistics from the Toronto Police Service showing that in 2025, approximately 82% of religiously motivated hate crimes in Toronto targeted Jewish communities.