San Antonio, TX – This week, Safari Club International (SCI) filed an intervenor's brief in the Supreme Court of Canada, in support of a lawsuit challenging Canada's sweeping firearms ban. The ban criminalizes the possession of approximately 1,500 firearms, many of which are commonly owned and used by hunters and recreational shooters. The ban applies to certain semi-automatic firearms, firearms with a muzzle energy greater than 10,000 joules, a bore diameter of 20 millimeters or more, or the capacity to accept a detachable magazine holding more than five cartridges. As explained in SCI's brief, these prohibitions unlawfully apply to numerous hunting firearms.
SCI's participation in this lawsuit was financially supported by the SCI Center for Conservation Law and Education, a separate 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting and protecting hunting rights, scientific wildlife management, and sustainable-use wildlife conservation through support for litigation and public and policymaker education. SCI was the only intervenor representing the interests of hunters and outdoorsmen who may be affected by this regulation. SCI's brief explains how the ban negatively impacts hunters throughout Canada and the rest of the world. Describing a similar issue current before the U.S. Supreme Court, SCI's brief details how prohibited firearms are reasonable for use for hunting or recreational shooting. For example, according to survey data presented to the U.S. Supreme Court, millions of U.S. citizens own AR-platform firearms for hunting and even more own these firearms for recreational shooting—reinforcing that these firearms are commonly owned and used for legitimate sporting purposes.
"This case is about far more than firearms. It is about protecting the rights of hunters and ensuring that lawful, commonly used hunting tools are not swept up in broad government prohibitions," said W. Laird Hamberlin, CEO of Safari Club International. "Millions of hunters and recreational shooters rely on these firearms for legitimate sporting purposes, and policies that disregard those realities threaten hunting traditions and conservation efforts. SCI is proud to stand with hunters in Canada and around the world to defend their interests and preserve our shared hunting heritage."
"Protecting hunting access includes protecting access to the firearms hunters depend on," said SCI Center for Conservation Law and Education President Rew Goodenow. "We hope this brief helps the Supreme Court of Canada recognize the importance of these firearms to hunters and recreational shooters and supports overturning this overly broad ban." This brief reflects SCI's first legal endeavor in Canada, and advances SCI's mission to protect and promote hunters and hunting heritage worldwide.
About Safari Club International: Safari Club International is a global conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife, defending the freedom to hunt, and promoting sustainable conservation worldwide. Representing more than 100,000 members and advocates, SCI supports science-based wildlife management and conservation policies, the protection of hunters' rights, and public education about the role of regulated hunting in conservation.