Free Terror Suspect, Judge Orders Ottawa

I was reading the Toronto Star, and I read the cover story which is about a terror suspect getting bail because of a court order. This man, Mahamoud Jaballah. had spent over five years in a federal prison despite having no charges laid against him. He was held solely because of government suspision that he was ivolved with terrorist activity. To further complicate matters, the federal government wanted to deport Jaballah in the name of national security because he is a non-citizen and is considered to be a 'threat.' This attempt was stricken down by the Supreme Court as a certain law pertaining to this case was seen as unconstitutional. This situation makes me think of spaces of power, specifically when power is contested in space. Since Jaballah is not a Canadian citizen, it is difficult to deal with his situation because the Canadian legal system does not apply to him as it would to a full Canadian citizen. It is almost as if he occupies a space that is not as tangible to the legal system but at the same time is still in the area in which it has jurisdiction. I think this is a good example that shows how power can be seen as spatially influenced as every type of power has its limits and boundaries.

Filip Franiczek