Outgunned.

• Author: Mitchell, Teresa
• Position: Bench press - Brief article

Today's Trial, in LawNow 28:6, discussed the case of the Alberta woman who was granted a licence to possess a gun by a provincial court judge, overturning the decision of a Firearms Officer. The judge accepted her evidence that she was no longer abusing alcohol, did not need her antidepressants, and was now a good friend of a woman she had previously assaulted. He ruled that even in Canada's cities, citizens sometimes need guns to protect themselves from two-legged predators. The Chief Firearms Officer appealed. Justice Frans Slatter of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench set aside the decision. He wrote "The learned Provincial Court Judge concluded that gun ownership in Canada is a right, not merely a privilege. The scheme of the legislation is that possession of a firearm is an offence under the Criminal Code, unless the person holds a licence ... This wording does not support the argument that there is a right...