A Criminal Code amnesty period protecting gun owners from liability until Oct. 30, 2026 while they dispose of newly prohibited firearms will be extended due to the Supreme Court of Canada process, Public Safety Canada announced on Tuesday, June 9.
The amnesty will now expire three months after the top court announces its decision on one of four consolidated appeals it agreed in March to hear related to sweeping firearms prohibitions. The appeal is related to the federal government’s use of an Order-In-Council (OIC) to classify private property as prohibited. At issue is how government used the OIC and the term “variant,” which opponents say was ill-defined.
The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR) has challenged the constitutionality and executive authority of the OIC, which was used to bypass normal legislative debate to ban more than 2,500 models of firearm.
The amnesty extension was unavoidable, Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters Policy Director Mark Ryckman stated.
"While multiple wildlife and firearms organizations, including the OFAH, have been calling on the government to extend the amnesty until a final legal determination is made, the reality is that the government's hands were effectively tied by the Supreme Court's decision to hear the appeal,” he said. “Forcing licensed gun owners to choose between criminal liability or surrendering their property before the Court even rules on the appeal could result in irreparable harm, so a temporary extension was essentially guaranteed. The only question in my mind was whether the government would wait until the eleventh hour to announce it."
More than 68,000 firearms were declared as part of the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program prior to March 31. That was the deadline for Canadians to submit a declaration via an online portal or by mail.
The new expiry date for the amnesty does not impact the continuing compensation program, which began in June and is expected to be completed by October. The program remains the only opportunity for firearm owners to receive compensation for their prohibited firearms, Public Safety Canada reminded.
The business phase of the program wrapped up on June 4. More than 12,000 firearms were destroyed and firearms businesses across Canada received more than $22 million in compensation, the government stated.
Several provinces are intervening in the Supreme Court challenge. Late last month, Ontario joined Alberta and Saskatchewan as intervenors. In April, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled the ban was a reasonable and lawful measure tied to public safety.
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