The federal government’s decision to end the long-gun registry was constitutional, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice has ruled.
The Barbara Schlifer Commemorative Clinic challenged the federal government’s Oct.21, 2012 decision in court, arguing the abolishment of the registry was unconstitutional as it decreased Canadians’ personal security and increased death by firearms.
In his Sept. 8 decision, Justice Edward M. Morgan dismissed the court challenge, finding “there is no reliable evidence that the (Long-gun Registry Act) actually has, or will, increase the incidence of violence or death by firearms.”
Morgan ruled that “the statistics about gun violence in the record do not establish a link to the existence of the registry system for non-restricted long-guns” as Schlifer claimed. Morgan noted that statistical data has led experts to conclude that the registration requirement in the Firearms Act was largely irrelevant to gun violence at large, as well as against women in domestic settings.
Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Steven Blaney applauded the court’s ruling.
“I am very pleased that the Court has ruled in favour of the will of Parliament and of Canadians,” said Blaney. “We have always said that the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry did not stop a single crime or save a single life.”
– with files from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Thank God at least some sanity reigns at the Supreme Court.
So how do I recover the my out of pocket costs to render my shotgun inoperable?