No Canadian Court Has Imposed 10-Year Maximum Sentence for Gun Smuggling, Committee Hears

Firearms confiscated at the Windsor border are displayed at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) point of entry at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, on June 28, 2022. Emily Elconin/Reuters

The federal government has proposed to increase the jail sentence for gun smuggling to a 14-year maximum, but no court has ever imposed the current 10-year maximum sentence.

At a House of Commons public safety committee meeting on April 25, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said, “By raising maximum sentences, we are sending a very strong signal.”