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A Coast Guard officer has been permitted to challenge a nearly decade-long delay by the Commissioner of Police in deciding his application for a firearm user’s licence (FUL).

Justice Karen Reid granted leave for the judicial review claim, in which the officer, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, alleges that the commissioner has breached a statutory duty by failing to process firearm licence applications from eligible, law-abiding citizens.

The officer applied for an FUL in 2015. A required police investigation was completed in 2016, and he provided all requested documentation. According to the claim, he was later told that the investigating officer had raised no objections, and that the application awaited a final decision from the commissioner.