Uechi-Ryu.com

Firing warning shots over the heads of property thieves or intruders would be considered a reasonable response under changes to Canada's self-defence law, says the attorney general.

Firing into the air to scare would-be criminal is reasonable, says justice minister. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson made the remark when answering questions in a committee meeting about Bill-26, the Citizen's Arrest and Self-Defence act.

Fort McMurray MP Brian Jean raised "some cases in Alberta" in which people have stolen all-terrain vehicles or other personal property, then used "firearms shot in the air, or shot around the people (trespassing)."

"Would that be a reasonable use of defence in the circumstances?" he asked.

"I think it is," responded Nicholson.


The Canadian Bar Association said Nicholson is sending a bad message in a very nuanced area of the law.

"All it's going to take is someone to shoot 10 inches too low in the dark and take someone's head off and that person is going to be up on murder charges," said Eric Gottardi, vice-chair of the CBA's criminal justice section.

Opposition MPs also said that warning shots are inherently dangerous.

"Shooting a gun over their heads is essentially threatening to shoot them," said NDP justice critic Jack Harris. "That seems to me to be unreasonable."