Supreme Court will not hear constitutional challenges of Canada’s no-fly regime

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear constitutional challenges of the no-fly regime from two men who were prevented from boarding flights in Vancouver.

The federal government is responsible for screening passengers against the Secure Air Travel Act watchlist, commonly known as the no-fly list.

Federal officials inform air carriers when a passenger requires additional screening or is prohibited outright from boarding a flight.

Bhagat Singh Brar and Parvkar Singh Dulai unsuccessfully challenged the system in Federal Court on constitutional grounds.

The court concluded the government had reasonable grounds to suspect the men might travel by air to commit terrorism.

The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed their appeals last year, prompting them to take their cases to the Supreme Court.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press