Supreme Court to deliver key rulings on Canada’s anti-terror law

OTTAWA - Canada’s anti-terror law will be in the legal spotlight today when the Supreme Court of Canada hands down a series of rulings on the legal definition of terrorism.

The rulings could determine if the terror law needs to amended or re-written, or is to be struck down for giving too much latitude to law enforcement agencies.

The high court will rule on a handful of charter challenges by convicted terrorist Momin Khawaja and two accused terrorists.

Khawaja, a former Ottawa software engineer, was the first person charged under the anti-terror law passed in the wake of the 9-11 attacks against the United States.

He is serving life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.

The Ontario Court of Appeal increased his original 10 and-a-half-year sentence to send a message about terrorism. The high court will also rule on whether Khawaja’s tougher sentence should be upheld.

The court will also rule on whether an extradition order against accused terrorists Suresh Sriskandarajah and Piratheepan Nadarajah should be overturned.

They are awaiting extradition to the United States, where they face charges of supporting the Tamil Tigers, a banned terrorist group.