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ARTICLE · 15 APRIL 2015

The Long-Gun Registry And Co-Operative Federalism

Gowling WLG
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In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the Québec government has no right to access the long-gun registry information.

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Guy Régimbald
Guy Régimbald
Matthew Estabrooks
Matthew Estabrooks
Zachary DeLong
Zachary DeLong
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On March 27, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision on the Québec long-gun registry. In Québec (Attorney General) v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 SCC 14, the question facing the Court was whether the Québec government had the right to use information collected in Québec as part of the federal government’s now-dismantled long-gun registry. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the Québec government has no right to access the long-gun registry information.

The decision centred around three issues:

  1. Is s 29 of An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act, SC 2012, c 6 (otherwise known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act (“ELRA”)) ultra vires Parliament’s criminal law power?

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