Mohamed Harkat waves to supporters as he leaves Federal Court with wife Sophie in Ottawa on Sept. 21, 2009. The Canadian Press
Colin Freeze
Ottawa — The Globe and Mail
Last updated on Monday, Sep. 21, 2009 09:02PM EDT
A Federal Court judge has greatly eased restrictions on the movements and communications of a man kept under wraps as an al-Qaeda suspect since 2002.
Mohamed Harkat, an Algerian living in Ottawa, remains held on a federal security certificate as a suspected terrorist. But his extremely onerous house-arrest conditions have largely been lifted.
Supporters of Mr. Harkat applauded, and he and his wife shed tears, after Federal Court Judge Simon Noel ordered government agents to take their eyes and ears off of Mr. Harkat for the first time in seven years – half of which he spent jailed.
Commentary by the Ottawa Mens Centre
Mohamed and Sophie Harkat have really lucked out with the Honourable Mr.
Justice Simon Noël who has made a series of what can only be called "honourable"
decisions that will win a lot of respect, but not from the likes of the red
necked simple minded politically correct minds like that of Stockwell Day who
just can't help shooting himself in the foot when his comments are not screened
by the PMO.
Mohamed and Sophie Harkat are also very lucky for another reason.
If Mr. Harkat had been a party to a Family Court proceeding, at 161 Elgin
Street, he could have some even more prejudicial decisions made against him as
are made almost every day by the underbelly of the judiciary in Ottawa.
Take "Sheffield Orders" or "Power Orders" that deprive fathers of ALL their
legal rights, that right, lifetime bans from asking the courts for ANY relief.
Judges like Allan Sheffield and Denis Power make orders , "striking pleadings"
"security for costs", "restraining orders" all based on evidence that is even
more dubious than that rejected by Justice Simon Noël.
In Ottawa, fathers can be served on short notice, for hearings when they can't
respond, and have their pleadings struck, incredible restraining orders.
Mr. Harkat can go virtually anywhere in Ottawa.
Not so for any father who ends up in front of the dishonourable underbelly of
the Ottawa Judiciary who will ban fathers from ENTIRE CITIES or include so many
areas of Ottawa as to exclude travel on every major route.
These orders are NOT VARIABLE, they are for a lifetime. Not even the worst
criminals get these types of orders of disgusting injustice.
These disgusting revolting orders are made by judges who flagrantly abuse their
judicial discretion to "teach a lesson", to "get revenge". They bring foul the
reputation of the entire judiciary who, unfortunately, allow such examples to
continue. No one it seems in the Judiciary is willing to lift their little
finger to get rid of them.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com