Toronto, April 23 -- 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." The Canadian chapter of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said: "This 'gap' is where many cases get weakened or dropped. 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."...