Ontario has joined a court challenge to strike down the Liberal-led firearm buyback program in an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada [1].
The move represents a significant legal escalation between the provincial government and federal authorities over firearm regulations. By challenging the program, Ontario seeks to invalidate a central pillar of the federal government's strategy to reduce the number of certain firearms in circulation.
Premier Doug Ford's government joined the legal action alongside Tracey Wilson of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights [1]. The challenge specifically targets the buyback program, which the province said is an ineffective approach to public safety [2].
According to the provincial government, the buyback program targets the wrong people [1]. The legal challenge seeks to have the program struck down entirely on the grounds that it does not address the root causes of gun violence or target illicit weapons [2].
The legal proceedings began on July 26, 2022 [1]. The case is now moving toward the Supreme Court of Canada, where the final determination on the program's legality and constitutionality will be decided [2].
This intervention by Ontario adds a layer of jurisdictional conflict to the ongoing debate over gun control in Canada. The province said that the federal mandate overreaches and fails to protect the rights of legal firearm owners, while neglecting the actual sources of crime [1].
“Ontario joined a court challenge/appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to strike down the Carney Liberal gun‑buyback program”
This legal action highlights the deep ideological divide between Canada's federal Liberal government and the conservative-led government of Ontario. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the province, it could dismantle the federal government's primary mechanism for removing specific classes of firearms from legal owners, shifting the focus of Canadian gun control toward enforcement against illegal smuggling rather than buyback initiatives.
