The Coalition for Gun Control to file a motion to intervene at the Supreme Court of Canada in support of the Government of Quebec's fight for the gun registry data

MONTREAL, Aug. 23, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Coalition for Gun Control and the Clinique juridique Juripop today announced their intention to intervene before the Supreme Court of Canada in support of the Government of Quebec's efforts to obtain the province's data from the federal firearms registry, in order to build a provincial program. They are also launching fundraising and public awareness campaigns in support of this important objective.

Beyond the constitutional debate surrounding the use and transfer of the data, Juripop and the Coalition for Gun Control plan to emphasize the importance of Canada's gun control laws in ensuring the public's right to safety, highlighting issues related to the Coalition's particular areas of expertise and demonstrating the need for such legislation.

"The Quebec government is fighting to protect its citizens where the federal government has failed. Public safety experts have warned of the dangers from abolishing the registry and destroying the data on firearms, which put the safety of the public at risk and make police work and efforts to preventatively remove firearms, such as in domestic violence cases, for example, more difficult," said Wendy Cukier, President of the Coalition for Gun Control.

A motion to intervene will therefore be filed at the appropriate time by lawyers from Juripop and by Frédérick Langlois, a lawyer with Deveau, Bourgeois, Gagné, Hébert who specializes in issues related to the Supreme Court and who has accepted this mandate for Juripop.

Fundraising and Public Awareness Campaigns
The Clinique juridique Juripop and the Coalition have also launched a fundraising campaign to support their intervention at the Supreme Court of Canada, 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. They can also watch short videos which will be posted periodically and share them with their friends and acquaintances, "said Marc-Antoine Cloutier, founder and Executive Director of the Clinique juridiques Juripop Group whose mission is to provide access to justice for individuals and for non-profit organizations.

"With the adoption of regulations forbidding provincial Chief Firearms Officers from requiring gun dealers to keep detailed records of their sales, the abolition of the requirement to register the purchase, sale or transfer of a firearm (gun registry), the weakening of requirements to verify that a buyer has a valid firearms licence before a gun sale, and then, the deletion of all data from the federal registry, it will be impossible to trace or to ensure some control over the 1.6 million guns in Quebec, as it  now is for the other 5.6 million firearms in Canada,  and will significantly weaken the fight against the illegal gun trade. This is precisely what the Coalition for Gun Control seeks to prevent," concluded Mr. Cloutier.

In April 2012, the federal government abolished the requirement to register non-restricted firearms such as rifles and shotguns, including powerful firearms like the Ruger Mini-14 used in the Montreal Massacre in 1989 and Norway Massacre in 2011, which can now be purchased without a trace.

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 Clinique juridiques Juripop Group, is available for interviews.