There is no unfettered right to possess firearms in Canada, notwithstanding the preamble of the British North America Act, 1867, which the applicant suggested incorporated the English Bill of Rights, 1689, allowing Protestant subjects to have firearms for their defence. There was a legislative history in Canada that heavily regulated gun ownership, and s.117.03 of the Criminal Code, allowing for seizure and destruction of an unlicensed firearm was intra vires the federal Parliament, as the regulation of the possession of a firearm was within the sphere of its criminal law power. This provision did not violate the applicant’s rights under ss.7 and 26 of the Charter, and there was no evidentiary basis that the applicant needed the firearm for his personal security. There was also no breach of the applicant’s fundamental justice, even if the 1689 Bill of Rights was part of the Canadian Constitution, s.26 of the Charter did not guarantee the rights therein.

22. April 2008 0
Administrative law – Firearms registration – Legislation – Criminal code – Ultra vires – Judicial review – Compliance with legislation – Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Right to bear arms Hudson v. Canada (Attorney General), [2007] S.J. No. 693, Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench, December 12, 2007, N.G. Gabrielson J. The applicant, a doctor ...

A handgun owner (the “Owner”), who did not have a registration certificate for the handgun in question (the “Handgun”), was ordered, within 30 days, to surrender his handgun to a peace officer. The Court found the Owner ineligible to hold a registration certificate pursuant to sections 13 and 69 of the Firearms Act. New legislation deemed the Handgun prohibited and the amnesty period had expired.

28. August 2007 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Firearms Officer – Firearms registration – licences – Judicial review – Interpretation of legislation – Standard of review of provincial court R. v. Buhrs, [2007] A.J. No. 734, Alberta Provincial Court, June 29, 2007, M.G. Allen Prov. Ct. J. The Owner applied pursuant to section 74 of the Firearms ...

The Appellant appealed the reference hearing judge’s decision to refuse to grant a firearms licence. In December of 1997, the Appellant was issued a Firearms Acquisition Certificate valid to December 2002. As a result of an allegation of historical sexual assault, the Chief Firearms Officer examined the Appellant’s criminal record, which included convictions for assaults 13 and 18 years earlier. His licence to possess firearms was revoked on the grounds that he had “demonstrated a history of behaviour that includes violence”. The Appellant applied for a reference before a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice. The decision was upheld and he appealed that decision to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, who held that the Appellant had not satisfied the court that cancelling the revocation was not justified.

28. October 2003 0
Administrative law – Firearms registration – Firearms – Licences – Revocation – Evidence – Prior criminal charges – Public safety – Statutory interpretation – Legislation – Retrospective operation R. v. D.L.B., [2003] O.J. No. 2471, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, February 12, 2003, Durno J. 45-year-old D.B. had used firearms for a long time. In 1992, ...

The Plaintiff Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (“NTI”), in its action against the Federal Government, claimed that the Firearms Act, R.S.C. 1995, c.39, legislation which introduced a universal licensing and registration scheme for the possession, use and purchase of all firearms and ammunition, unlawfully infringed upon the rights guaranteed to Inuit under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (“NLCA”). Pending trial, the court allowed NTI’s application for an interlocutory order staying application of provisions of the Firearms Act and Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985 c.46, on the basis that the alleged infringement of a treaty right may cause collateral damage to important Inuit interests.

23. September 2003 0
Administrative law – Aboriginal issues – Firearms registration – Infringement on Aboriginal rights – Damages – Stay of proceedings Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2003] Nu.J. No. 2, Nunavut Court of Justice, July 8, 2003, Kilpatrick J. The Plaintiff Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (“NTI”), on behalf of Inuit enrolled as beneficiaries under the Nunavut Land ...