Firearms — storage / possession

The client is a lawful firearms licence-holder whose home was searched pursuant to an unrelated investigation. During the search, the police concluded that the storage of certain firearms did not meet the Storage of Firearms by Individuals Regulations.

The client faced potentially serious charges under the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act — but the file also carried a viable path to a substantially reduced offence turning on the actual storage evidence.

Whether the Crown could prove all elements of the more serious charge — including the required mens rea — beyond a reasonable doubt.

If the Crown's case on the more serious charge was contestable, whether a plea to the lesser included offence of careless storage (or equivalent) was appropriate on the record.

Full inventory review of what was seized, from where, and in what condition.

Verification of the client's licensing and course-completion history — a factor at both the conviction and the sentencing stages.

Written pre-trial position advanced to the Crown identifying the specific evidentiary weakness on the more serious count, framing a plea to a lesser offence as the appropriate resolution.

• The precise regulatory language on trigger locks, secure containers, and ammunition storage.
• The mens rea distinction between careless storage and the more serious weapons offences.
• Firearms Act prohibition and forfeiture implications on any conviction.
• The client's continued eligibility for a firearms licence — often the client's real concern.

Firearms files often have significant range on the sentencing spectrum. Understanding where a file actually sits — evidentially and regulatorily — is the work.

Saggi Law Firm reviews firearms matters with the licensing consequences in mind alongside the criminal exposure.