Coalition for Gun Control files a motion to intervene at the Supreme Court of Canada in support of the Government of Quebec

MONTREAL, Sept. 30, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Coalition for Gun Control, with the support of the Clinique juridique Juripop and its partner lawyers, has filed a motion to intervene at the Supreme Court of Canada in support of the Government of Quebec's efforts to obtain the province's firearm registry data from the federal government, in order to build a provincial program.

Following the Quebec government's filing of an application for leave to appeal the June decision of the Court of Appeal of Quebec, Juripop and Frederick Langlois, a lawyer with Deveau, Bourgeois, Gagné, Hébert & co., have filed a motion at the Supreme Court of Canada to authorize the Coalition for Gun Control to intervene and submit a written argument in the case. "Because of its mission, the Coalition for Gun Control has unique expertise to intervene in this debate. It is first and foremost a citizens' initiative", said Marc-Antoine Cloutier, founder and Executive Director of the Cliniques juridiques Juripop Group whose mission is to provide access to justice for individuals and for non-profit organizations.

With this motion, Juripop and the Coalition for Gun Control want to emphasize the importance of the laws controlling access to firearms in relation to the right to safety, including in the prevention of domestic violence and firearm violence.

"It is an important matter of public interest, and we believe the application for leave to appeal by the Attorney General of Quebec should be accepted due to the effects that the loss of the registry data would have on intervening in cases of family violence and suicide prevention and on the ability to effectively prosecute gun crime involving rifles and shotguns," said Wendy Cukier, President of the Coalition for Gun Control. "Furthermore, while other countries are working to strengthen their gun laws and fight gun trafficking, Canada is alone internationally in rolling back gun control and ignores its commitments to fight the illegal gun trade."

"Bill C-19, which was adopted by the federal government and abolished the long gun registry, sets a potentially dangerous precedent that could have important consequences for future legislation regulating firearms," added Marc-Antoine Cloutier.

Fundraising and Public Awareness Campaigns

On August 23, the Clinique juridique Juripop and the Coalition also launched a fundraising campaign to support their intervention at the Supreme Court, as well as a public awareness campaign on the importance of gun control.

"Individuals can contribute financially to the filing of our application by visiting our website (www.juripop.org), where they can also learn about the Coalition's arguments, and show their support by signing and sending a letter to the new federal Minister of Public Safety, Steven Blaney," explains M. Cloutier.

Clinique juridique Juripop
The Clinique juridique Juripop is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of promoting access to justice for all. It is also a social business with innovative projects to increase knowledge of the law. The organization has three sections: a section offering free or low cost legal consultations to citizens who are excluded from legal aid but cannot afford lawyer's fees; the Juripop Affaires section for not-for-profit organizations, independent workers and small businesses with low income; and the legal information section, which organizes projects addressing particular needs.

The Coalition for Gun Control
Founded in the wake of the Montreal Massacre, the Coalition for Gun Control works to reduce gun death, injury and crime. The Coalition focuses its efforts on protecting sensible gun control laws and measures, research and public education, and improving measures to combat smuggling and the illegal gun trade. The Coalition is an alliance of more than 300 organizations working to protect and ensure public health, safety and the security of women and who believe strong gun control laws are essential to achieving those objectives. The alumni and families of the victims of the Polytechnique Massacre along with other victims of gun violence have also played a pivotal role.

SOURCE: Clinique juridique Juripop

Jeanne Simonato,
Media Relations
[phone]

Marc-Antoine Cloutier, Executive Director of the Cliniques juridiques Juripop Group, is available for interviews.