A municipal government brought a motion for leave to intervene as a friend of the court in a Charter application challenging federal legislation repealing the long‑gun registry and mandating destruction of registry records.
The underlying application alleged the repeal violated ss. 7 and 15(1) of the Charter by increasing risks of domestic violence against women.
The court considered the principles governing intervention under Rule 13.02 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, including whether the proposed intervenor had a real and identifiable interest, a distinct perspective, or relevant expertise.
The court found the municipality had demonstrated a substantial interest in firearm‑related public safety and domestic violence issues and could provide assistance on the public interest component of the injunction analysis without expanding the evidentiary record.
Leave to intervene was granted subject to limitations on evidence, length of submissions, and costs.
