TORONTO — Ontario’s attorney general is urging the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to allow individuals to carry and use pepper spray for self-defence.In a letter sent Saturday to federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser, Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey said the change would provide vulnerable people with a practical tool to protect themselves.Downey wrote that legalizing pepper spray for defensive use would give “vulnerable, law-abiding citizens a practical, immediate tool to defend themselves.”Under Canada’s Criminal Code, pepper spray is classified as a prohibited weapon when intended for use against another person.The law defines a prohibited weapon as “any device designed to be used to injure, immobilize or otherwise incapacitate any person by the discharge therefrom of tear gas, Mace or other gas, or any liquid, spray, powder or other substance that is capable of injuring, immobilizing or otherwise incapacitating any person.”A similar request was made by the government of Alberta in 2021 but was rejected by the federal government.At the time, Ottawa said the existing restrictions were in place for safety reasons.“All weapons that are prohibited have been prohibited for a reason,” the federal government wrote in response to the earlier request. “When confronted with a problem, the solution cannot simply be to increase accessibility to prohibited weapons. This can actually lead to further violence.”In the same letter, Downey also called on the federal government to introduce mandatory DNA collection for individuals arrested for sexual offences..He said such a measure would help speed up investigations and assist police in identifying repeat offenders.“This will accelerate investigations and get dangerous criminals off the streets sooner, while safeguarding the privacy rights of the innocent,” Downey wrote.According to the proposal, DNA samples would be automatically destroyed if the accused person is acquitted or if there is no conviction.Downey also urged Ottawa to introduce victim notification when a match is found in the national DNA database in sexual offence cases, so survivors can be informed and provided with support.“We are urging the federal government to address Ontario’s calls for change and take renewed action by considering these new measures that would help hold offenders accountable, protect communities across our nation and keep criminals off the streets,” he wrote.
