TheGunBlog.ca — Canada’s Federal Court ordered the RCMP last month to publish the serial numbers of 468 SIG Sauer P226 pistols after concluding the release wouldn’t violate laws protecting personal privacy.

Below is a copy of the full text of the Oct. 9 decision as published on the Ottawa-based Federal Court’s website.

Significance

• The Federal Court was waiting on this decision before reviewing a separate lawsuit by the Information Commissioner against the government, after the RCMP refused to release its Firearms Reference Table, or FRT.
• The FRT is the RCMP’s private catalogue of its opinions on the legal classifications of about 180,000 guns.

Background

• Court File Number: T-1682-18
• Court decision based on Information Commissioner of Canada lawsuit against the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
• Case stemmed from 2014 complaint to Information Commissioner after the RCMP refused a request for the serial numbers.

Judge Nicholas McHaffie Quotes

I conclude that the serial numbers are not “personal information” within the definition of section 3 the Privacy Act.

…

The record identified by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as responsive to the request for access made under the Access to Information Act shall be released to the requester without redaction of the Sig Sauer P226 firearm serial numbers.

Related

• The Canadian Press via The Globe and Mail, Nov. 6: Gun serial numbers are not personal information, judge tells RCMP

PDF of Federal Court Decision