OIC court case data dump: Interview transcripts, final legal arguments

Wondering how legal action against the federal government's most recent gun ban is going? The FirearmsRights.ca page has just had another data dump, with the CCFR's most recent documents from its court battle uploaded.

Since 2020's Order in Council (OIC) that banned many hunting, sporting and target firearms with the stroke of a pen, Canadian shooters have been challenging the federal government's actions from several angles. One of the most prominent battles has been that of the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights (CCFR), along with individual shooters and firearms-related businesses signed on to the same case.

While the CCFR has kept the Canadian firearms up-to-date with the case's meanderings (it's kind of what they do), the organization has now uploaded its final legal argument to the FirearmsRights page. Click here to view it, and scoot on forward to page 956 for the start of the argument.

The CCFR's May 2 uploads also include many other delicious tidbits from the court case, including cross-examination of the policymakers the federal government relies on. For instance, check out the verbal tap-dancing in this transcript of questions with Murray Smith, a key player in the RCMP's Firearms Program. This transcript, with questioning of Toronto-based surgeon Najma Ahmed, co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, contains similar footwork.

While it may not be fun to sift through pages of verbal stumbling, it does show the state of the case, and the parties involved. It also shows a lack of knowledge of firearms basics from the federal government's expert witnesses. Reading through, it's easy to see how firearms like the Blaser R8 (chambered in .500 Jefferey) pictured above (which specifically is mentioned in this court documents) ended up banned. The government's own experts drafted the OIC with insufficient understanding and forethought, a fact that's been hammered home time and time again through court proceedings.

That explains the federal government's extension of the grace period before gun owners must turn their firearms in; they have created a whole host of problems that need sorting out. Remember that, at least for now, the amnesty protecting firearms owners from the Order in Council has been extended to October 30, 2023; originally, it was set to expire on April 30, 2022. That extends the time the federal Liberals and their NDP supporters can continue to use this issue as a political football; don't be surprised if this is still an issue, come the next federal election. However, the extra time on the clock also allows gun orgs, businesses and individuals with lawsuits against the government to continue their legal battles without worry of law enforcement acting against them.

The extension also allows provincial Chief Firearms Officers more time in their own battles against the OIC. It also allows non-profits like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation more time to educate the public on the economic realities of the plan, and for law enforcement themselves to continue voicing their opposition to the federal government's plan.