Canada’s Prime minister today announced sweeping new legislation designed to freeze the number of privately-owned handguns in Canada and reduce the number of assault weapons currently in circulation. It will also create a “red flag” law that allows judges to require those deemed by the court a danger to themselves or others to surrender their weapons, and to revoke firearm licenses held by people with a record of domestic violence or stalking.
The legislation makes high-capacity weapons illegal by requiring all long guns to be modified so they cannot carry more than five rounds and making the sale or transfer of high-capacity magazines illegal. Maximum jail terms for smuggling or illegally transferring firearms will increase by 40 per cent to fourteen years.
In making the announcement Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government had tried to work with provincial and territorial governments, but abandoned this patchwork after deciding the country needed strong consistent laws across the nation.
Handgun ownership in Canada is considerably lower than in the United States — there are currently 1.1 million legal handguns in a country of 40 million — one gun for every 36 people. Strict Canadian laws restrict open carry, which requires special permits that are very difficult to obtain.
The new legislation was tabled in the federal House of Commons May 30, and is expected to pass without any complications. Both parties in the current ruling coalition are on record as long-time supporters of gun safety, and there is strong public support for such measures. The mass shooting of schoolchildren in Texas last week did not go unnoticed in Canada, and this tragedy only strengthened the resolve of Canadian politicians while boosting public support for tighter gun safety laws and regulations.