Media Advisory: Supreme Court decision on security certificates

20 February 2007 -- Representatives of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) and International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) are available to discuss with the media the upcoming decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on security certificates (Charkaoui, Harkat and Almrei).  The decision is scheduled to be made public on Friday 23 February.

The CCR and the ICLMG are part of a coalition of organizations that had intervenor status in the three security certificate cases.  They argued that the current procedures violate Charter rights to equality, to fundamental justice and to protection from cruel and unusual treatment.  They emphasized that the security certificate measures are applied in a context of racial stereotyping and thus offend Canadian values of equality.

A summary of the arguments presented by the coalition is attached.

Contacts for media:

Sharryn Aiken, counsel for the intervenors – 416-529-0379
Janet Dench, CCR Executive Director – 514-277-7223 or 514-835-2046
Warren Allmand, spokesperson, ICLMG – 514-262-5623
Roch Tassé, coordinator, ICLMG – 613-241-5298 or 613-203-4669