Bill C-580

SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to remove the first time offence of possession of a firearm other than a prohibited firearm or a restricted firearm without having registered that firearm under the Criminal Code. It clarifies that firearm possession proceedings under that Act do not abrogate or derogate from any existing rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada.

It also amends the Firearms Act to eliminate the fee for registration of a firearm that is neither a prohibited firearm nor a restricted firearm. It imposes more control on the release of records that are kept under that Act and that could be used to identify an individual, and ensures that the Chief Firearms Officer, in determining whether a person is eligible to hold a firearms licence, may review records relating to that person’s discharge from or unsuccessful application for membership in a law enforcement agency or the military.

Finally, it amends the Contraventions Act to designate a first time offence under section 112 of the Firearms Act as a contraventions offence for the purposes of the Contraventions Act.