Court fight over Liberal gun ban may be nearing its end A court battle that began – iPolitics.ca

A court battle that began more than a year ago over the Liberal governments ban of thousands of privately owned semi-automatic rifles may head to a final hearing soon.

A recent court-file entry in what became seven Federal Court cases mounted by firearm businesses, gun clubs, 26 gun owners, and others taking part in the legal challenge shows that dates for next steps could be set by the first week of August, including a final hearing date.

The first application for a judicial review of the gun ban, as well as other weapons, was launched on May 21 last year, 20 days after the Liberal government invoked the surprise May 1 ban by way of a cabinet order.

An eighth initial applicant for judicial review in which the litigants are asking the Federal Court to strike down the ban as a violation of their rights later shifted their sights to sue the Queen (in effect, the government) for damages and injury to a thriving machining business that mostly makes firearms.

Even though the court challenge might be targeting an end date, support for the gun-owners cause is still high, possibly higher than it was in its early days, with signs pointing to a federal election on the horizon.

The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, which is bankrolling the largest amount for legal support, received donations earlier this month of $2,000 from New Brunswicks Woodstock Pistol and Rifle Club, and $10,000 from the Sherwood Park Fish & Game Association in Alberta.

On July 16, Federal Court Associate Chief Justice Jocelyne Gagn, the judge presiding over the case, directed lawyers for the applicants, as well as counsel for the attorney general, to work out common availability for the next case-management conference, where future plans are decided, for July 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, or anytime during the week of Aug. 2, 2021.

No date has yet been specified for the next conference to discuss next steps, but the court file for that day indicates that the top lawyer for the applicants, Laura Warner, who is from Calgary, and Justice Department counsel Bruce Hughson, a senior general counsel in the Prairie region, were both in on the Zoom conference, with Gagn and court registrar Victoria Gawn.

The court wouldnt provide minutes of the hearing, nor an abstract saying what was discussed.

This week, the Department of Justice, which provides counsel for Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti, informed iPolitics through its media office that Gagn had accepted a special section of the Canada Evidence Act that prevented Lametti from providing cabinet documents related to the gun ban, since they were protected by cabinet confidence.

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Court fight over Liberal gun ban may be nearing its end A court battle that began - iPolitics.ca