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C-255 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief — religious property)
Every bill summarized in plain language. Not clear enough? Ask for an explanation.
C-255
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief — religious property)
CPC
In progress
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BILL C-255
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief — religious property)
Last activity : At second reading in the House of Commons
CPC
In progress
Commons · 1st2025-11-06Commons · 2ndCommons · 3rdSenate · 1stSenate · 2ndSenate · 3rdRoyal assent
Sign-in required — one request per person, no anonymous requests
What it does, in plain language
- Creates a new Criminal Code offence for mischief (vandalism or damage) targeting religious property.
- Covers buildings mainly used for worship — such as churches, mosques, synagogues and temples — worship-related objects inside or on the grounds, and cemeteries.
- Sets a minimum payment of at least $1,000 in compensation to the property owner for a first offence.
- Adds at least 14 days in jail, on top of the $1,000 compensation, for a second offence.
- Raises the minimum to at least 30 days in jail, plus $1,000 compensation, for each further offence.
- Applies these minimums whether the case proceeds by indictment or by summary conviction (the simpler process used for less serious offences).
- Caps the sentence at 10 years in prison on indictment, or two years less a day on summary conviction.
- Comes from a private member (Mrs. Block) and received first reading on November 6, 2025.
🤖 AI-generated from the bill’s official text as introduced — may not reflect amendments adopted since.
✋ What does “challenging” mean?
Clicking “Ask for an explanation” is a citizen request for the bill's sponsor to explain it in plain language — and for us to keep an eye on it together.
An account (email) is required — one request per person, no anonymous requests. 🔥 At 1,000 requests on the same bill, a public post is made, in the hope an MP agrees to sponsor a petition to the House.
It works on any bill, including one that has already received royal assent — that is often the one people want to understand.
Votes in the Commons
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On the “who voted what” detail — the House of Commons publishes each member's name for every recorded (nominal) vote (Yea / Nay / paired). The by-member breakdown above (the "+" button on each row) comes directly from that official source (ourcommons.ca), not an estimate. The party shown next to each name is taken from the current House roster; people who have since left the House appear separately under "Former members".
How to read a vote
Recorded vote
Members vote one by one and each choice is entered in the public record. That is what lets us say exactly who voted what — no interpretation.
Passed is not law
A passed vote clears ONE stage. A bill must pass both chambers and then receive royal assent before it becomes law.
Paired is not absent
In the Commons, two members from opposing sides can agree not to vote: their voices cancel out. It is neither an absence nor an abstention.
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Hi! My name is
Martin Archambault
I'm 45, and dossiercanada.ca is your first step into democracy!
If we want people to understand politics, it has to be brought down to their level.
When I first tried to take an interest in it, on top of not knowing the jargon, bills came as two lines… and fifty PDFs. Most people would simply walk away.
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