The federal government has extended its amnesty period for owners of prohibited firearms until after the Supreme Court of Canada rules on a legal challenge to the federal ban.

The extension means affected firearm owners will not be required to dispose of or deactivate the prohibited firearms until 90 days after the country's highest court releases its decision. The Supreme Court agreed earlier this year to hear an appeal challenging the legality of the original federal prohibition introduced in May 2020.

The Liberal government had previously set the amnesty to expire on Oct. 30. The new timeline pushes that deadline into 2027 if the court does not issue its ruling until next year.

Over the past several years, Ottawa has prohibited approximately 2,500 models and variants of firearms, including the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14. The federal government has maintained that the firearms covered by the ban are designed for military-style use and should not be available for civilian ownership.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the extension reflects the government's decision to allow the judicial process to proceed before enforcing the final compliance deadline. The government continues to defend the firearm prohibitions before the courts.

Conservative critics argued the delay demonstrates ongoing problems with the federal approach to firearms policy and said resources should instead be directed toward addressing criminal activity involving illegal guns.

Ottawa said work connected to the firearms compensation and collection program will continue. The government expects collection efforts already underway in parts of the country to proceed through the fall, with final figures on the number of firearms surrendered and compensation payments to be released once the program is complete.

The Supreme Court's eventual ruling is expected to determine whether the federal government acted within its authority when it enacted the initial prohibitions six years ago.