Cory Morgan: Handgun Import Ban: Liberals Using Orders-in-Council to Avoid Parliamentary Scrutiny at a Rate Unseen in Living Memory

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly speaks alongside the minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino and Liberal MP Yvan Baker, during a press conference announcing new gun control laws, in Toronto on Aug. 5, 2022. The Canadian Press/Cole Burston

Commentary

An order-in-council (OIC) is a legislative tool used in parliaments to enact an action or regulation without having to go through all the steps formally required to pass a bill or motion in Parliament. It is accepted that the government cabinet can use this tool for items that don’t merit a full parliamentary debate or don’t have time for one.