Gun Control in Canada - 2698 Words

Case Comment: Introduction: Gun control in Canada has a long and controversial history with supporters on different sides of the issue. There are those organizations who want the strictest gun control possible versus those pro-gun organizations that are staunchly opposed to tougher laws. The history of firearms control in Canada is rather widespread, dating back to early Confederation. The Constitution Act of 1867 divided legislative powers between the federal government and the provinces. The provinces were assigned property and civil rights powers under Section 92(27). The federal government was assigned powers relating to criminal law as well as a general power to legislate under peace, order and good government. In 1892, Canadas†¦show more content†¦Summary: In Re Firearms Act (2000), a challenge was raised to Canada’s gun-control legislation, which is part of the Criminal Code. The Firearms Act’s main methods of control included of requirements to register all firearms and to license all firearms owners. The Supreme Court of Canada held that the pith and substance of the Act was in relation to the public safety, which is a reasonable objective of the Criminal Code. The Act attempted to achieve that purpose by prohibiting unlicensed owners and unregistered guns, which was backed by penalties. It was argued that the law was regulatory rather than criminal legislation. It was argued that only complete prohibition of guns would be a valid criminal law. The Supreme Court held it was within Parliament’s criminal law power to control access to firearms through prohibitions and penalties as set out in the Firearms Act. Therefore, the province has the right to issue licences to individuals to possess certain types of handgun s, and the federal government has the right to issue registration certificates for certain types of firearms to those persons in order to regulate the issuance of such registrations, to declare to the public not to possess those firearms and to create criminal offences for such illegal possession. The Court collectively supported the gun-control legislation, relying on its prior decision in R. v Hydro-Quebec, in which the primary energy producerShow MoreRelatedEssay on Gun Control in Canada1400 Words   |  6 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚   There has been considerable debate recently in Canada over the issue of gun control. The Canadian parliament enacted the Firearms Act to enforce gun control by requiring gun owners to register their firearms. Just recently, the government of Alberta lead in a charge, including five other provinces and numerous pro-gun groups, complaining that the law is unconstitutional and intrudes on provincial jurisdiction. They also claim that the act infringes on property and civil rights that are guaranteedRead MoreEssay on Gun Control in Canada2093 Words   |  9 PagesGun Control in Canada Gun Control is an important issue to Canadians. Canada has both provincial and federal legislation that restricts the sale, purchase, and use of different kinds of firearms. The United States, on the other hand, do not have federal or state bills restricting the possession or use of firearms, only local laws exist there. 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