Newsletter December 15, 2025

Insurance is financial protection. Insurance allows individuals to manage unexpected expenses and provides a safety net in times of need.

Firearm Legal Defence has been in business for 14 years and provides legal expense insurance and legal advice to Canadian gun owners for just $95 a year.

Over the years, lawyers have been provided many times to policy holders. Ed Burlew, a Canadian lawyer specializing in firearm law and lead counsel for Firearm Legal Defence has recently successfully challenged and won yet another case.
A policy holder had a situation. It happened in Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory, population 7,400, located a short distance south of the Arctic Circle. Firearm Legal Defence protects people from lots of places in the country! We love winning!

This case began with a citizen reporting that he had seen a handgun in a pickup truck cab that was filling up at a gas station. The person did not see the whole of the gun, only the pistol grip . It was reported to police that the truck had a black handgun in it. The police then checked their data base and found that the suspect who was the owner of the truck owned a handgun. The record did not specify the colour of the handgun. It was tan, not black. The police knew that the suspect could not openly carry his handgun. They applied for a warrant and arrived at his home early the next morning. The suspect complied immediately when the police said to open the door. He had been cleaning the tan handgun as well as his rifles and shotgun. The Police seized all the guns and arrested the suspect. He was charged with carrying a handgun in a vehicle without authorization, unsafe transportation of a firearm, and unsafe storage of the guns at his home.

He had a Pump action shotgun that legally has a pistol grip and it was black. Therefore having the black shotgun in the truck cab was legal. It was not a handgun. At his home the guns were in a steel safe which was open when the police arrived. He was cleaning his guns. He did not have time to put all the guns back and lock the steel safe when the police were banging on his door. They interrupted him.

In court, Ed Burlew, lead counsel for Firearm Legal Defence, used pictures of the defendant’s safe and manufacturer pictures of the guns seized to make his case. By consistent explanation of the characteristics of each of the guns, their locations inside or on top of the steel safe in the defendant’s small house, showing the defendant had his gun cleaning kit out as well as tabling the issue with the colour of the gun, Mr. Burlew demonstrated to the crown prosecutor that a prosecution would fail. There was a succession of three crown prosecutors and two judges in the pre-trial process. Berlew adamantly argued how the defendant conformed to firearm storage and transportation regulations. Finally, after many months of consistent advocacy, the Crown decided to withdraw during a judicial pre-trial. The next court date, the criminal charges were withdrawn and within 30 days the defendant was to receive his guns back from the police. However, then the police began to question his gun license. Ed had to again argue with the police directly to assure them the defendant had safe storage and his license was current and valid. Eventually the defendant was able to pick up his guns.

When a charge is laid the work is not finished until the guns are back in the hands of the gun owner. It is not enough to just have a resolution or a withdrawal. It is that last critical step of sometimes forcing the police to release the guns to the owner that concludes the case. Police often are reluctant to return the guns to their rightful owner. This extra step and commitment is another point for what distinguishes Firearm Legal Defence.

The legal fees in this case were tens of thousands of dollars. The only cost to the policy holder was his $95 a year insurance premium.

About Firearm Legal Defence

Firearm Legal Defence offers legal expense insurance for Canadian gun owners, covering all provinces and territories except Quebec.

Membership includes:

• Legal Costs Coverage: Full payment of defence costs.
• Professional Legal Access: Connection to experienced lawyers like Ed Burlew.
• Legal Advise Helpline: Unlimited access to confidential telephone legal advise on any topic from a qualified lawyer experienced in that field, not limited to firearm-related legal concerns.
• Firearm Legal Defence is committed to protecting the legal rights of gun owners, ensuring fair treatment under the law, and maintaining access to legal recourse.