Bruce Montague
Bill C-68 Court Challenge
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This Case Epilogue written February 1, 2017 is intended to provide context to this web site as it documents a Canadian constitutional challenge spanning from 2004 to 2016. Bruce Montague determined to expose the constitutional violations in the Canadian Firearms Act. After being charged, mounting a constitutional challenge and appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada, Montague's case was dismissed without reasons. With Bruce in jail, the Montagues then faced an another twist of injustice -- the confiscation of their home and property by the Ontario government. The Montagues fought the civil forfeiture of their home for years until, in the summer of 2016, the Canadian Constitution Foundation was instrumental in negotiating with the Ontario Civil Forfeiture department to drop the lien against the Montague home. The Canadian Constitution Foundation deserves our support as they continue to fight other cases of injustice around the country. YOU COULD BE NEXT! Canada is undergoing a quiet revolution and your fundamental rights and freedoms are at stake!
What's Wrong with Civil Forfeiture» | Write to Stop Civil Forfeiture»

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Feb 19, 2010: Montague’s firearms registry case heard

News Archive Index
Source: Miner and News
Link: http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.ca/...

Garett Williams

From here on out, it is a waiting game. More than five years have passed since Bruce Montague was arrested with an unregistered firearm slung over his shoulder at a Dryden gun show in September 2004. In the time since, his constitutional challenge of the federal firearm registry was dismissed and he and his wife have been convicted of a combined nearly-30 firearm related charges.

Upon conviction on 26 of the more than 50 charges faced, the former gunsmith and competition shooter was sentenced to 18 months in custody, handed a lifetime firearm ban and spent more than 25 days behind bars before being released on bail pending an appeal that was heard in a Toronto courtroom Thursday.

Some 60 supporters rallied outside the Ontario Court of Appeal, according to Montague, before packing standing-room only into the courtroom to hear attorney Doug Christie argue “Canadians have a fundamental right to self-protection, which entails the right to possess effective tools for that purpose,” said an article posted on Montague’s website.

He argued “the constitutional heritage of Canada gives citizens the right to security of person through section 7 of the (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms), rights which the court has an obligation to uphold against infringements by Parliament.”

Christie also pointed out errors in the trial leading to the Montagues’ conviction, including “inflammatory” remarks surrounding Montague’s mental state.

The Crown was “basically trying to knock my sanity levels,” Montague said Thursday from Toronto, “basically saying ‘this guy’s not stable, he’s not sane,’ trying to slander me that way.”

The argument was heard by Justice Michael Moldaver, Justice James MacPherson and Justice Eleanore Cronk and was completed in less than two hours. The Crown’s response was submitted in about halfhour, according to Montague’s website.

Surrounded by supporters singing hymns after the hearing, Montague, who can no longer work as a gunsmith, said his criminal record has made him “basically unemployable” but he’s committed to challenging the registry.

“In many ways, its worse than being in jail,” he said. “If I went to jail and served my sentence, it would have been done a long time ago. In a sense, I’m in a prison right now because I haven’t got the freedom to go get a job, I can’t move, I can’t go anywhere else. I’m not quite under house arrest but (there is a) very strict control about where I can go.”

The Justices anticipated their decision would be released shortly, according to Montague’s site.


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Link: http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.ca/...


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