NR 03-13 INJ ENG Firearms Injunction.doc

(July 8, 2003 – Iqaluit, Nunavut) Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), the land claims organization for the Inuit of Nunavut, has been successful in its court action to keep in place an injunction suspending the application to Nunavut Inuit of the licensing and registration requirements of the federal Firearms Act and the Criminal Code.

Mr. Justice Robert Kilpatrick of the Nunavut Court of Justice also rejected a request by Canada to have NTI’s main lawsuit dismissed. That lawsuit seeks a declaration that Inuit are entitled to possess and use non-restricted firearms for the purpose of exercising harvesting rights.

This ruling is a victory for all the Inuit of Nunavut, said NTI President Cathy Towtongie. NTI’s court action is based on rights contained in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA). We have always maintained that the Land Claim guarantees Inuit the right to harvest without any form of licence or permit and without the imposition of tax or fee. We are very pleased with this judgment.
This decision is also an important precedent for Inuit and other aboriginal people outside of Nunavut.