Iqaluit (July 16/01) - Nunavut Tunngavik's legal action against the federal government is proceeding, according to Laurie Pelly, director of legal services for the land claims organization.

NTI filed the action more than a year ago in opposition to the Firearms Act, which requires all Canadian gun owners to possess a gun licence.

The act contradicts Article 5 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement -- also Canadian federal law -- which states "an Inuk with proper identification may harvest ... without any form of licence or permit and without imposition of any form of tax or fee."

Pelly said the claim is still in the preliminary stage and that NTI legal counsel are trying to set a fall court date to begin the process. However, she said it is difficult nailing down the government's lawyers.

"We're contemplating a motion to compel them to proceed with document production," said Pelly. "If they cannot agree quickly, we will bring the motion forward," she said.

But John B. Edmond, the lawyer for the federal government's Canadian Firearms Centre, said he, too, hopes to go to court by early fall and that document-production has begun. "I'm told it's under way by my client," said Edmond from his Ottawa office.