The Alberta government has announced its intention to intervene in a court challenge of issues related to Bill C-21, otherwise known as Ottawa’s 'assault rifle' ban.On Tuesday, the Attorney General of Alberta formally filed notice it intends to participate in an appeal brought by the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR) and make submissions to constitutional issues arising from the case.Actual assault rifles have been banned since the 1970s.“As the Appellants have appealed the constitutional questions decided by the Federal Court of Canada, we write to advise that Alberta intends to participate in this appeal and make submissions regarding the constitutional questions raised in the Appellants' Notices of Appeal,” it says.“Alberta also applied for and was granted leave to intervene on the administrative law issues in the Federal Court of Canada proceedings, and we write to advise that Alberta intends to apply for leave to intervene in this Appeal as well.”.It comes after the Federal Court on October 30, 2023 ruled that the use of Orders in Council (OiC) to retroactively ban thousands of models of rifles and shotguns it deems ‘unecessary’ for sport or hunting.The so-called OiC ban was in addition to C-21 which prohibits specific types of firearms and future models made after it went into law on December 15, 2023. The OiCs are even more contentious because they effectively bypass Parliament and criminalize every licensed gun owner who has any semi-automatic, centre fire, magazine fed rifle or shotgun.It also allows for the provision to confiscate these types of guns when a buyback amnesty expires in 2025.The legislation codifies some measures already enacted by previous cabinet orders — such as a freeze on handgun sales and licences — in addition to formulating a Criminal Code definition of so-called ‘assault-style’ weapons plus enhanced measures and penalties surrounding 3D-printed ghost guns and smuggling — although expecting were made for athletes taking part in elite-level sports such as the Olympic Games.Once it came into effect, maximum Criminal Code penalties for gun smuggling increased to 14 years from 10 years previously. the law also expands the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control or threats of suicide and strengthens so-called ‘red-flag’ prohibitions..Critics like the CCFR, along with hunting and sporting groups, complain the classification system is too broad and essentially bans guns the Liberals don’t like. Others suggest the powers are too broad and open the door for police raids and illegal search and seizure of private property.It comes as figures from Statistics Canada that show the level of violent gun crime rose 8.9% in 2022, driven by a spike in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.In 2022, police in Alberta recorded 200 more firearm-related violent crimes than in 2021 while Edmonton saw its crime rate jump 22% and 5.1% in Calgary.“The 2022 rate of firearm-related violent crime is the highest since comparable data were first compiled in 2009," the report said.
