Latest Gun Law News Canada

“Our goal is to reduce the number of handguns in our communities over time,” Trudeau said at Friday`s news conference. The handgun freeze is the latest in an ongoing battle between Canadian lawmakers over gun control measures. In parliament, lawmakers are still debating the passage of a bill introduced in May that would be one of the strictest gun control laws in decades. The new handgun freeze is an “immediate step” the Trudeau administration says it is taking as discussions on the law continue. “When people are killed, when people are hurt, responsible leadership compels us to act,” Trudeau said at a news conference Friday, announcing the new measure. “Lately, we`ve seen too many examples of horrific tragedies involving guns. Canada`s new national ban on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns goes into effect Friday to reduce gun violence across the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino listen to Eileen Mohan, whose son Christopher was killed in the Surrey Six murders, speak at a news conference about the halt in handgun sales in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Oct. 21, 2022.

REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier “Reducing the proliferation of handguns is an important example of the evidence-based action Canada needs to reduce gun violence and save lives,” Canadian Doctors for Firearms Protection tweeted in response to the news. “We have frozen the handgun market in this country,” Mr. Trudeau at a news conference in Surrey, B.C., attended by family members of gun violence victims and other lawyers. The latest ban was implemented as another gun control bill was passed by Canada`s Parliament – which the government says will be the strongest gun control measure in more than 40 years. The legality of self-defence with a firearm has been controversial in Canada. While self-defence is legal, it is very limited (it developed because of R v Khill). The Penal Code recognizes self-defence with a firearm. The Firearms Act, 1995 provides a legal framework within which a person can acquire, possess and carry a restricted firearm or (a certain class of prohibited firearms) to protect themselves from others if police protection is deemed insufficient. [56] This situation is extremely rare: the RCMP`s authorization to transport applications relates only to the protection of life during employment, which involves handling valuables or dangerous wildlife. [57] Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposes a national freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns effective immediately.

“We need to pass this law as soon as possible,” Mendicino said alongside Trudeau. On October 21, 2022, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced a ban on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns, as well as a ban on bringing new weapons into the country. While the ban may seem extreme to Americans, the right to own firearms is not part of Canada`s Constitution. In Canada, firearms are regulated by the federal government through the Firearms Act and related provisions of the Criminal Code. The regulations focus on the licensing and registration of firearms, including air rifles with a muzzle velocity greater than 500 ft/s or 150 m/s and a muzzle energy greater than 4.2 ft⋅lb or 5.7 J.[1] Update: People can no longer buy, sell or transfer handguns to Canada – and they cannot bring newly acquired handguns into Canada. The rate of firearm-related homicides in Canada is a fraction of the rate in the United States, as shown by 2020 data, but it is still higher than in other wealthy countries and has increased, with handguns being the primary weapon used in the majority of firearm-related violent crime between 2009 and 2020. In 2020, the Prime Minister of Canada banned 1,500 models of assault weapons and variants of AR-15 rifles after 277 people were killed by firearms at a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 population. That same year, more than 19,000 people were killed by gun violence in the United States at a rate of 5.9 per 100,000 people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Magazines designed to hold centerfire cartridges and designed or manufactured for use in a semi-automatic handgun are limited to 10 rounds of ammunition.

Capacity is measured by the type of cartridge for which the magazine is designed. In some cases, the magazine may hold more than 10 cartridges of a different caliber; However, this is not relevant to determining the maximum allowable capacity. [41] As of May 1, 2020, the Canadian government has banned over 1,500 models of assault weapons and certain components of certain newly banned firearms (the upper receivers of M16, AR-10, AR-15 and M4 firearms). In addition, new limits apply to the initial energy (greater than 10,000 joules) and bore diameter (bore of 20 mm or more). Any firearm beyond them is now banned. Currently, an amnesty period under the Penal Code is until October 30, 2023. The amnesty is intended to protect individuals or businesses that were legally in possession of a newly prohibited firearm at the time the prohibition of criminal liability came into force while taking steps to comply with the law. The Canadian government has stated that the number of firearms in the country has increased significantly over the past decade, with 70% more handguns in Canada than in 2010. Friday`s action prevents people from buying, selling or transferring handguns into Canada and prevents them from bringing newly acquired handguns into the country, according to the Prime Minister`s Office.

Many, including the Canadian Coalition for Gun Rights, argue that reducing the number of guns in this country will not reduce gun violence. While Canada has sounded the alarm about gun violence, its rate of gun violence is still relatively low compared to its neighbour to the south. There are many more mass shootings in the United States: more than 500 and more in 2022 alone, according to the gun violence records. Trudeau`s governing Liberal government has introduced Bill C-21 to combat gun violence, and his office said Friday`s decision will help “keep Canadians safe” while legislation is being discussed. In August, it banned imports until the law was passed. “Our Government is taking the most significant action taken in Canada against gun violence in a generation. We have committed to Canadians to take action – and we are doing so. The national freeze will address the alarming role of handguns in crime, gender-based violence and more. We are using every means at our disposal to combat gun violence, and we will not rest until all Canadians feel safe in their communities. The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the national freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns will come into effect. People cannot buy, sell or transfer handguns into Canada, and they cannot import newly acquired handguns into Canada. Access restriction orders would apply to situations where a person subject to a prohibition order could gain access to a third party`s weapon.

This legislation, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms (formerly Bill C-71), which received Royal Assent in 2019, provides practical, targeted and measured measures to keep Canadians safe. The law prioritizes public safety and effective policing while respecting responsible firearms owners. The government proposes to ban air guns that: Following the 2020 attacks in Nova Scotia, the minority Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau announced a national ban on “military weapons” and “all assault rifles.” Neither of these classifications previously existed under Canadian law, but the policy actually placed approximately 1500 types of firearms in the restricted and non-restricted categories in the prohibited weapons column next to the automatic category Long guns have moved. [51] Although a buy-back program for this type of weapon is under development, it is not expected to be mandatory at this time. [52] Individuals could continue to possess and use their registered handguns and sell or transfer their registered handguns to released individuals or businesses. “Canadians have the right to feel safe at home, at school and in their place of worship. As gun violence increases across Canada, it is our duty to take urgent action to remove these deadly weapons from our communities. Today, we are keeping more guns out of our communities and keeping our children safe. Once the legislation comes into force, the expanded authority to revoke authorizations would help protect vulnerable people from gun violence and allow a Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) to revoke a firearms licence: these air guns could no longer be imported, exported, transferred or sold.