Canada's top court will hear challenges to Liberals' firearms ban
CBC
The Supreme Court of Canada will hear arguments against the Liberal government's deeply controversial decision to outlaw certain firearms.
The top bench said Thursday it will hear four appeals together challenging the Justin Trudeau-era policy banning hundreds of makes and models, including the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14, meaning they can no longer be legally used or sold.
The government first moved to ban some 1,500 firearms in May 2020 in the wake of the Nova Scotia mass killing, the worst in modern Canadian history. The banned list has since grown to some 2,500 makes and models, with the government arguing the varieties are for warfare — not hunters and sport shooters.
The policy has been generally applauded by gun control advocates, but faces backlash from the Conservatives and firearm-rights groups who argue the move punishes law-abiding gun owners instead of going after criminals.
The original 2020 ban was challenged by firearm owners, hunters, sport shooters and the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights — the country's gun lobby — who argued the government lacked the authority to ban the guns.
Their cases were dismissed by the Federal Court in 2023, with Justice Catherine Kane saying then-prime minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet did not exceed their powers in passing the regulations. The Federal Court of Appeals agreed with her decision in 2025.
As usual, the Supreme Court justices did not say why they decided to hear this case.
The decision comes as the government is in the midst of rolling out its "buy back" program. Gunowners have pushed back against the name, saying they don't have a choice but to sell their firearms or risk prosecution.
Owners have until the end of the month to declare their firearms, before the program moves into the collection phase.
The amnesty period for possessing the banned guns has been extended several times. The latest deadline is Oct. 30, 2026.
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