JURIST - Paper Chase: Quebec judge allows province to keep gun registry despite federal law

[JURIST] A judge for the Superior Court of Quebec [official profile] ruled [judgment, PDF, in French] Monday that the Canadian federal government cannot end the Quebec long-gun registry. The decision invalidated two parts of the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act [materials] and ordered the federal government to release any records on Quebec gun owners to the Quebec government to supplement their standing registry. This also includes records on guns that potentially have been used in crimes committed in Quebec or originated in Quebec and have been sold to other parties. The sections invalidated halted the destruction of Quebec's records and enjoined the end of a requirement to register any long-guns in Quebec. The ruling does not apply to other provinces. The federal government plans to appeal [WP report].

Before the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act was passed in April, the Canadian Firearms registry required the registration and subsequent title transfers of any restricted firearms in Canada. This included rifles and shotguns, which many argued were discriminatory against hunters. In February the Ontario Superior Court [official website] refused to impose a mandatory minimum sentence [JURIST report] established by the Canadian federal government for firearm possession, declaring the guideline unconstitutional.