Addict (drugaddict) wrote,
Addict
drugaddict

O Canada! (My native land got this one right).

Canada court strikes right to detain foreign terrorism suspects *

*The Associated Press *
*Friday, February 23, 2007 *
**

*OTTAWA: The Supreme Court of Canada on Friday struck down the
government right to detain foreign terrorism suspects indefinitely and
without trial and said that the system violated the country's bill of
rights. *

*The Canadian Justice Department had said that the "security
certificate" program was a crucial tool in the fight against global
terrorism and essential to national security.*

*But in a 9-0 judgment, the high court found that the system violated
the Charter of Rights and Freedom. The court suspended the judgment from
taking effect for a year, to give Parliament time to rewrite the part of
the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that deals with the
certificates. *

*The certificates were challenged on constitutional grounds by three men
from Morocco, Syria and Algeria — all alleged by the Canadian Security
Intelligence Service to have ties to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. *

*"The overarching principle of fundamental justice that applies here is
this: Before the state can detain people for significant periods of
time, it must accord them a fair judicial process," the chief justice,
Beverley McLachlin, wrote in the ruling. *

*Opponents of the system say that it violates the human rights of those
who have no access to the evidence against them and who would face
torture or death if deported to their countries.*

*Barbara Jackman, an attorney who represents one of the men, a client
who has been detained for six years, said that the Supreme Court
decision did not compromise national security.*

*"It only strengthens our democracy," she said. "It's an indication to
other countries that to detain people and mistreat them, it's not
satisfactory."*

*Canadian law currently allows sensitive intelligence information to be
heard behind closed doors by a judge, with only sketchy summaries being
given to defense attorneys.*

*If those foreigners choose to fight deportation, they can spend years
in jail while the cases go through the courts.*

*Safety and trade talks open*

*Senior officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico opened talks
Friday to hash out ways to thwart cross-border security threats, cope
with a potential bird flu outbreak and increase North American trade,
The Associated Press reported from Ottawa. *

*Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez represented
Washington.*

*Mexico and Canada are increasingly concerned about U.S. border
restrictions imposed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.*
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