Firearm-related deaths are a significant public health problem in Canada. Over the past 30 years, the Canadian Parliament has implemented a number of measures to alleviate this problem. Most of these measures focus on the control of non-restricted firearms such as rifles and shotguns. These measures were implemented gradually following the adoption of three bills, i.e. Bill C-51 (in 1977), Bill C-17 (in 1991), and Bill C-68 (in 1995). Since 1998, following the adoption of Bill C-68, all owners of non-restricted firearms have been required to hold a licence to possess firearms and to register each firearm that they own.
In recent years, several bills have been tabled with a view to eliminating the compulsory registration of non-restricted firearms. The most recent proposal is...