Background
Ford Ward was a licensed fisherman from Newfoundland. He also held a commercial seal hunting license. During a hunt in 1996 he caught approximately 50 seals some of which were hooded "blueback" seals. He was charged with selling blueback seal pelts contrary to s. 27 of the Marine Mammal Regulations.
Ward applied to the Newfoundland superior court to have the regulation declared ultra vires of the federal government.
The issue before the Supreme Court was "whether the federal regulation prohibiting the sale, trade or barter of blueback seals is a valid exercise of the federal fisheries power or the federal criminal law power".
Read more about this topic: Ward V. Canada (Attorney General)
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