Can I possess a weapon for self-defence?
In Canada, you cannot carry a weapon for the purpose of self-defence. If someone uses a gun for the purpose of protecting himself or others and, as a result, is charged with an offence (i.e. aggravated assault or murder) he may raise self-defence so long as the three elements of self-defence can be demonstrated. However, in that scenario, self-defence only applies to the assault or murder offence. The accused would still be guilty of authorized possession of a firearm or possession of a prohibited firearm if he did not have a firearms licence, used a prohibited firearm, or if he was licenced but only allowed to use the firearm for a specific purpose.
