Legislative changes to the Firearms Act and Criminal Code introduced in Parliament
Legislative changes to the Firearms Act and Criminal Code introduced in Parliament
Bill C-21: - An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (non-registration of firearms that are neither prohibited nor restricted)
The Bill introduced today, once passed, will repeal the requirement for long-gun owners to register their hunting rifles and shotguns. Certain requirements will remain in place. Firearms owners will still require a valid firearms license to purchase or possess firearms and to purchase ammunition, and will still be required to undergo background checks and pass a safety training course.
The requirement to obtain a registration certificate for all firearms and to renew the license every five years was included in the Firearms Act and in amendments to the Criminal Code when it was introduced in 1995. This is still in effect today. It also set out offences and penalties for illegal possession and misuse of a firearm. For example, a first-time offender who has failed to register a non-restricted rifle or shotgun may be charged under the Firearms Act or under the Criminal Code. A temporary legal amnesty introduced on May 17 th, 2006 shielded certain firearm owners from prosecution of offences related to non-registration of their long-guns to give them time to come into compliance with the law by next May 17, 2007.
The amendments introduced in today’s bill will require current owners to verify that a potential purchaser or another new owner of their non-restricted firearm has a valid firearms license by contacting the Chief Firearms Officer. This measure will help ensure that guns do not get into the hands of individuals who should not have them, such as convicted criminals, and to help investigators identify the owners of stolen firearms or conduct criminal investigations.
Canada’s new government has also reintroduced the requirement for businesses to maintain records of all transactions involving the sale, purchase or disposal of non-restricted firearms. This is another measure that will assist police investigators in locating owners of stolen firearms or those used in the commission of a crime.
On May 17, 2006, Canada’s new government introduced a series of non-legislative measures to ease the burdens on firearms owners. These measures included the following :
* transferring responsibility for the Firearms Act and regulations to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), taking over from the former Canada Firearms Centre;
* reducing the annual operating budget for the program by $10 million;
* implementing individual license renewal fee waivers and refunds;
* eliminating physical verification of non-restricted firearms; and
* introducing a one-year amnesty to protect currently licensed and previously-licensed owners of non-restricted firearms from prosecution and to allow them to come into compliance with all laws and regulations by May 17, 2007.
Over the coming months the government plans to consult with provinces, territories and other stakeholders across Canada on further measures to streamline and improve the Firearms Act, including instituting lifetime licensing for firearm owners. These measures will be aimed at ensuring that gun control in Canada is focused on fighting crime, keeping firearms out of the wrong hands and minimizing burdens on law-abiding gun owners.
Additional information about the roles and responsibilities of firearm owners in Canada or for information on how recent and proposed changes affect your obligations, please contact the RCMP’s Canada Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000, or visit their website at http://cfc-cafc.gc.ca.
Bill C-21: - An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (non-registration of firearms that are neither prohibited nor restricted)
The Bill introduced today, once passed, will repeal the requirement for long-gun owners to register their hunting rifles and shotguns. Certain requirements will remain in place. Firearms owners will still require a valid firearms license to purchase or possess firearms and to purchase ammunition, and will still be required to undergo background checks and pass a safety training course.
The requirement to obtain a registration certificate for all firearms and to renew the license every five years was included in the Firearms Act and in amendments to the Criminal Code when it was introduced in 1995. This is still in effect today. It also set out offences and penalties for illegal possession and misuse of a firearm. For example, a first-time offender who has failed to register a non-restricted rifle or shotgun may be charged under the Firearms Act or under the Criminal Code. A temporary legal amnesty introduced on May 17 th, 2006 shielded certain firearm owners from prosecution of offences related to non-registration of their long-guns to give them time to come into compliance with the law by next May 17, 2007.
The amendments introduced in today’s bill will require current owners to verify that a potential purchaser or another new owner of their non-restricted firearm has a valid firearms license by contacting the Chief Firearms Officer. This measure will help ensure that guns do not get into the hands of individuals who should not have them, such as convicted criminals, and to help investigators identify the owners of stolen firearms or conduct criminal investigations.
Canada’s new government has also reintroduced the requirement for businesses to maintain records of all transactions involving the sale, purchase or disposal of non-restricted firearms. This is another measure that will assist police investigators in locating owners of stolen firearms or those used in the commission of a crime.
On May 17, 2006, Canada’s new government introduced a series of non-legislative measures to ease the burdens on firearms owners. These measures included the following :
* transferring responsibility for the Firearms Act and regulations to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), taking over from the former Canada Firearms Centre;
* reducing the annual operating budget for the program by $10 million;
* implementing individual license renewal fee waivers and refunds;
* eliminating physical verification of non-restricted firearms; and
* introducing a one-year amnesty to protect currently licensed and previously-licensed owners of non-restricted firearms from prosecution and to allow them to come into compliance with all laws and regulations by May 17, 2007.
Over the coming months the government plans to consult with provinces, territories and other stakeholders across Canada on further measures to streamline and improve the Firearms Act, including instituting lifetime licensing for firearm owners. These measures will be aimed at ensuring that gun control in Canada is focused on fighting crime, keeping firearms out of the wrong hands and minimizing burdens on law-abiding gun owners.
Additional information about the roles and responsibilities of firearm owners in Canada or for information on how recent and proposed changes affect your obligations, please contact the RCMP’s Canada Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000, or visit their website at http://cfc-cafc.gc.ca.
posted by Stephen at 6:12 PM
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