View source for Weapons Offences (Sentencing)

{{fr|Infractions_liées_aux_armes_(détermination_de_la_peine)}}
{{Currency2|November|2022}}
{{LevelZero}}{{HeaderOffences}}
==General Principles==

===Firearms===
A firearm always presents a "threat of death to those in its presence."<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Hills|j8l7j|2020 ABCA 263 (CanLII)|2 WWR 31}}{{perABCA|Antonio}}{{atL|j8l7j|32}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Morrisey|525j|2000 SCC 39 (CanLII)|[2000] 2 SCR 90}}{{perSCC|Gonthier J}}{{atL|525j|43}}
</ref>
Anytime a gun is loaded, there is probability that anyone in the line of fire could be killed.<ref>
{{ibid1|Morrisey}} at para 53<br>
</ref>

Possession of a loaded firearm is inherently dangerous. Death and serious injury are only a "impulse and trigger pull away."<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Chin|245mj|2009 ABCA 226 (CanLII)|[2009] AJ No 711 (CA)}}{{TheCourt}}<br>
see also {{CanLIIRP|Elliston|2dnmb|2010 ONSC 6492 (CanLII)|225 CRR (2d) 109}}{{perONSC|Aston J}}<br>
{{CanLIIRPC|Foster v Prince|fpm10|2012 ONSC 205 (CanLII)|[2012] O.J. No. 89 (O.S.C.)}}{{perONSC| MacLeod J}}{{atL|fpm10|18}}</ref>

Offences involving handguns is a “serious and growing societal danger”.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Clayton|1kt5v|2005 CanLII 16569 (ON CA)|194 CCC (3d) 289}}{{perONCA-H|Doherty JA}} at 41</ref> 

There is a strong emphasis on the need to denounce and deter the use of firearms in public places.<ref> 
{{CanLIIRP|Danvers|1lhd0|2005 CanLII 30044 (ON CA)|[2005] OJ 3532}}{{perONCA|Armstrong JA}}{{atL|1lhd0|77}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Bellamy|1x3lf|2008 CanLII 26259 (ON SC)|[2008] 175 CRR (2d) 241}}{{perONSC|Boswell J}}{{atL|1x3lf|76}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Brown|1q256|2006 CanLII 39311 (ON SC)| [2006] O.J. No. 4681 (Ont. SCJ)}}{{perONSC|Trafford J}}{{atL|1q256|9}}<br>
{{CanLIIRx|Gomes|glzz9|2015 ONCA 763 (CanLII)}}{{TheCourtONCA}}{{atL|glzz9|4}} ("...possession of deadly prohibited firearms requires a denunciatory sentence.")<Br>
</ref>
This is necessary in order to maintain confidence in the administration of justice.<ref>
{{CanLIIR-N|Whervin|, [2006] O.J. No. 443 (SCJ)}}{{at-|14}}<br>
{{CanLIIR-N|David|, [2006] O.J. No. 3833 (SCJ)}}<br>
</ref>

; Handguns
One distinctive feature of illegal handgun offences is that the guns are exclusively "used to kill people or threaten them with physical harm."<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Omar|hwf3c|2018 ONCA 975 (CanLII)|369 CCC (3d) 544}}{{perONCA|Brown JA}} (dissenting){{AtL|hwf3c|123}} SCC adopts opinion of Brown at {{CanLII|j0fm5|2019 SCC 32 (CanLII)}}
</ref>

; Range of Conduct 
For firearms offences, such as those under s. 95, there is a broad spectrum of culpability, ranging from the "outlaw" who is “engaged in truly criminal conduct” and who "poses a real and immediate danger to the public" at one end. And at the other end the "law-abiding responsible gun owner...with readily accessible ammunition stored nearby" but possesses an illegal firearm.<Ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Nur|g22fg|2013 ONCA 677 (CanLII)|303 CCC (3d) 474}}{{perONCA-H|Doherty JA}}{{atL|g22fg|51}}
</ref>

; Ontario Ranges
Ontario has set a range of 7 to 11 years for "serious firearm offences."<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Bellissimo|225g6|2009 ONCA 49 (CanLII)|OJ No 179}}{{TheCourtONCA}}{{atL|225g6|3}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Danvers|1lhd0|2005 CanLII 30044 (ON CA)|199 CCC (3d) 490}}{{perONCA|Armstrong JA}}<br>
</ref>

; Judicial Notice of Increase in Gun Violence 
There has been judicial notice that as of 2007 there has been a national increase in gun violence and gun-related offences.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Clayton|1rxzv|2007 SCC 32 (CanLII)|[2007] 2 SCR 725}}{{perSCC-H|Abella J}}{{atL|1rxzv|110}}</ref> 

{{reflist|2}}

==Notice of Increased Penalties==
{{seealso|Notice of Increased Penalty}}
Section 84(5) and (6) state:

{{quotation2|
84.<br>{{Removed|(1), (2), (3), (3.1) and (4)}}
; Subsequent offences
(5) In determining, for the purpose of subsection 99(2) {{AnnSec0|99(2)}}, 100(2) {{AnnSec0|100(2)}} or 103(2) {{AnnSec0|103(2)}}, whether a convicted person has committed a second or subsequent offence, if the person was earlier convicted of any of the following offences, that offence is to be considered as an earlier offence:
:(a) an offence under section 85 {{AnnSec0|85}}, 95 {{AnnSec0|95}}, 96 {{AnnSec0|96}}, 98 {{AnnSec0|98}}, 98.1 {{AnnSec0|98.1}}, 99 {{AnnSec0|99}}, 100 {{AnnSec1|100}}, 102 {{AnnSec1|102}} or 103 {{AnnSec1|103}} or subsection 117.01(1) {{AnnSec1|117.01(1)}};
:(b) an offence under section 244 {{AnnSec2|244}} or 244.2 {{AnnSec2|244.2}}; or
:(c) an offence under section 220 {{AnnSec2|220}}, 236 {{AnnSec2|236}}, 239 {{AnnSec2|239}}, 272 {{AnnSec2|272}} or 273 {{AnnSec2|273}}, subsection 279(1) {{AnnSec2|279(1)}} or section 279.1 {{AnnSec2|279.1}}, 344 {{AnnSec3|344}} or 346 {{AnnSec3|346}} if a firearm was used in the commission of the offence.

However, an earlier offence shall not be taken into account if 10 years have elapsed between the day on which the person was convicted of the earlier offence and the day on which the person was convicted of the offence for which sentence is being imposed, not taking into account any time in custody.

; Sequence of convictions only
(6) For the purposes of subsection (5) {{AnnSec0|84(5)}}, the only question to be considered is the sequence of convictions and no consideration shall be given to the sequence of commission of offences or whether any offence occurred before or after any conviction.
<br>
R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. C-46}}, s. 84; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), ss. 185(F), 186; {{LegHistory90s|1991, c. 40}}, s. 2; 
{{LegHistory90s|1995, c. 39}}, s. 139; 
{{LegHistory90s|1998, c. 30}}, s. 16; 
{{LegHistory00s|2003, c. 8}}, s. 2; 
{{LegHistory00s|2008, c. 6}}, s. 2; 
{{LegHistory00s|2009, c. 22}}, s. 2; 
{{LegHistory10s|2015, c. 3}}, s. 45;
{{LegHistory20s|2022, c. 15}}, s. 1.
{{Annotation}}

|{{CCCSec2|84}}
|{{NoteUp|84|5|6}}
}}

==Ranges==

; Ontario
Where an offender "is an outlaw who carries a loaded firearm as a tool of his or her trade, a penitentiary sentence of 3 or more years is generally appropriate"<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Shomonov|gs3s2|2016 ONSC 4015 (CanLII)}}{{perONSC|McCombs J}}{{atL|gs3s2|12}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Nur|gh5ms|2015 SCC 15 (CanLII)|[2015] 1 SCR 773}}{{perSCC-H|McLachlin CJ}}{{AtL|gh5ms|82}}<br>
</ref>

; Newfoundland and Labrador
The lower end of the range for firearm offences is 5 years.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Marsh|hpb19|2017 CanLII 84460 (NLSCTD)}}{{perNLSC|Goodridge J}}{{atL|hpb19|20}}<br>
</ref>
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
* [[Firearms Offences (Sentencing Cases)]]

{{OffencesNavBar/Weapons}}
[[Category:Offences|*]]