The Canadian federal court of appeal has upheld the decision to put two Sikh separatists on the country’s no-fly list, after they weren’t allowed to get on planes in Vancouver in 2018.
In a ruling this week, according to a Globe and Mail report, the court dismissed an appeal by Bhagat Singh Brar and Parvkar Singh Dulai after they lost their constitutional challenge of Canada’s Secure Air Travel Act in the lower court.
Significantly, Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed last year, was also on the same no-fly list. Canadian parliament observed a moment of silence this week to mark the first anniversary of his murder in what India sees as a case of parliament condoning terror threat to its own people. Asked about the respect shown, India’s MEA said Friday, “We naturally oppose any moves giving political space to extremism and advocacy of violence”.
Brar and Dulai were seen a potential threat to airline safety with potential to undertake terror acts. According to Globe report, the ruling says the act empowers the public safety minister to ban people from flying if there are “reasonable grounds to suspect they will threaten transportation security or travel by air to commit a terrorism offence.”
Both Brar and Dulai claimed in court that their inclusion on the list violated their Charter rights, but the court ruling found the legislation was justified and the confidential portions of the court process were procedurally fair. “The ruling says based on confidential security information, the minister had reasonable grounds to suspect that the two men would travel by air to commit a terrorism offence,” said the report.
In a ruling this week, according to a Globe and Mail report, the court dismissed an appeal by Bhagat Singh Brar and Parvkar Singh Dulai after they lost their constitutional challenge of Canada’s Secure Air Travel Act in the lower court.
Significantly, Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed last year, was also on the same no-fly list. Canadian parliament observed a moment of silence this week to mark the first anniversary of his murder in what India sees as a case of parliament condoning terror threat to its own people. Asked about the respect shown, India’s MEA said Friday, “We naturally oppose any moves giving political space to extremism and advocacy of violence”.
Brar and Dulai were seen a potential threat to airline safety with potential to undertake terror acts. According to Globe report, the ruling says the act empowers the public safety minister to ban people from flying if there are “reasonable grounds to suspect they will threaten transportation security or travel by air to commit a terrorism offence.”
Both Brar and Dulai claimed in court that their inclusion on the list violated their Charter rights, but the court ruling found the legislation was justified and the confidential portions of the court process were procedurally fair. “The ruling says based on confidential security information, the minister had reasonable grounds to suspect that the two men would travel by air to commit a terrorism offence,” said the report.