  We argue that the gauge-fermion interaction in multiflavour quantum
electrodynamics in $(2 + 1)$-dimensions is responsible for non-fermi liquid
behaviour in the infrared, in the sense of leading to the existence of a
non-trivial (quasi) fixed point that lies between the trivial fixed point (at
infinite momenta) and the region where dynamical symmetry breaking and mass
generation occurs. This quasi-fixed point structure implies slowly varying,
rather than fixed, couplings in the intermediate regime of momenta, a situation
which resembles that of (four-dimensional) `walking technicolour' models of
particle physics. The inclusion of wave-function renormalization yields
marginal $O(1/N)$-corrections to the `bulk' non-fermi liquid behaviour caused
by the gauge interaction in the limit of infinite flavour number. Such
corrections lead to the appearance of modified critical exponents. In
particular, at low temperatures there appear to be logarithmic scaling
violations of the linear resistivity of the system of order $O(1/N)$.
Connection with the anomalous normal-state properties of certain condensed
matter systems relevant for high-temperature superconductivity is briefly
discussed. The relevance of the large (flavour) $N$ expansion to the
fermi-liquid problem is emphasized. As a partial result of our analysis, we
point out the absence of Charge-Density-Wave Instabilities from the effective
low-energy theory, as a consequence of gauge invariance.
