Supreme Court of Canada to hear challenge of federal firearms ban

By Canadian Press on March 19, 2026.

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will hear a challenge of a Liberal government ban on more than 1,500 different firearms models and variants.

The government banned the use, sale and importation of the weapons in May 2020, signalling they considered them fit only for the battlefield, not for hunting or sport shooting.

The move was generally applauded by gun control advocates as a first step toward removing firearms used in mass shootings from circulation.

In October 2023, a Federal Court judge dismissed a request to strike down the ban as unlawful and beyond the scope of the powers delegated to the federal cabinet.

A not-for-profit advocacy organization, firearm owners, businesses, hunters, and recreational and sport shooters appealed the ruling.

In April 2025, the Federal Court of Appeal rejected that challenge, saying the Federal Court delivered “thorough and persuasive” reasons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2026.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press