Bill C-42 · 41th Parliament · Stephen Harper
Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act
An Act to amend the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code and to make a related amendment and a consequential amendment to other Acts
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedOct. 7, 2014
- Debated in principleApril 20, 2015
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberMay 29, 2015
- Passed the second chamberJune 15, 2015
- Became lawJune 17, 2015
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Stephen HarperPrime Minister
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
What it set out to do
The pre-release version of this Legislative Summary is now available. Parliamentarians and their staff can obtain a copy by submitting a request or contacting the Library of Parliament. Members of the public can obtain a copy by the contacting the Information Service at the Library of Parliament. On 7 October 2014, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness introduced Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code and to make a related amendment and a consequential amendment to other Acts (Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading. Bill C-42 amends the Firearms Act to simplify and clarify the firearms licensing regime for individuals, to limit the discretionary authority of chief firearms officers and to provide for the sharing of information on commercial importations of firearms. It also amends the Criminal Code to strengthen the provisions relating to orders prohibiting the possession of weapons, including firearms, when a person is sentenced for an offence involving domestic violence. Lastly, it defines “non-restricted firearm” and gives the Governor in Council authority to prescribe a firearm t…
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
74% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (7,215 words introduced, 4,610 passed). A committee amended it.
substantial changeintent mostly kept
The core aims of simplifying licensing, limiting chief firearms officers' discretion, and adding information-sharing rules stayed intact, but Parliament rewrote large sections on transport authorizations, safety-course rules, and licence extensions. Roughly three-quarters of the introduced wording was removed or replaced, with new limits on firearm use during extensions added before royal assent.
- New restrictions were added on using or acquiring firearms during an extended licence period.
After: “(1.2) The holder of a licence that is extended under subsection (1.1) must not, until the renewal of their licence, use their firearms or acquire any firearms or ammunition.”
- Several detailed rules on automatic transport authorizations for prohibited firearms were removed or rewritten.
Before: “(2.1) Subject to subsection (2.3), an individ- ual who holds a licence authorizing the individual to possess prohibited firearms or restricted firearms must, if the licence is renewed, be authorized to transport them within the individual's province of residence Automatic authorization to transport — licence renewal”
- A new clause on non-use during extensions was inserted after the existing extension provision.
After: “No use or acquisition (1.3) The extension of a licence under subsection (1.1) does not result in the ext”
How precisely it is written
mostly preciseChallenging the law: ModerateDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill relies on defined terms such as “non-restricted firearm”, fixed minimum prison terms, and explicit lists of places or persons to create clear rules for licensing and offences. Some phrases like “reasonable grounds to believe” and “prescribed form” still introduce limited room for interpretation or regulation.
Clear-cut
“liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of”
States exact maximum and minimum sentences in numbers for multiple offences.“110.1 In sections 109 and 110, "intimate partner" includes a spouse, a common-law partner and a dating partner”
Provides a closed statutory definition of the key term used in domestic-violence prohibition orders.
Discretion. Chief firearms officers retain narrow discretion on licence eligibility for non-residents and on verification of transport, while the Governor in Council gains expanded power to prescribe firearms as restricted or non-restricted by regulation.
Challenging the law itself. Broadened lifetime prohibition orders for domestic violence could be challenged under section 7 or 12 of the Charter as overbroad or grossly disproportionate, though the statutory definitions reduce vagueness arguments.
Disputing a charge under it. Most offences are tied to objective facts such as possession without a licence, specific places, or minimum sentences, leaving little room to dispute whether the conduct occurred once the facts are proved.
Read by a language model from the royal assent text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.
Did it work?
no evaluation found
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.