OTTAWA — An appeal court has rejected the federal government's latest legal salvo in a long-standing bid to deport a Toronto man over alleged terrorist ties.
In a new ruling, the Federal Court of Appeal says there are no grounds to contest a judge's decision to strike down a national security certificate against Egyptian-born Mahmoud Jaballah.
As a result, he is a step closer to remaining in Canada permanently.
The government alleges Jaballah, 54, is a member of terrorist group al-Jihad, an accusation he denies.
It has been trying to deport him through a security certificate — a tool for removing suspected terrorists and spies from abroad — but the case has meandered through the legal system for well over a decade.
There was no immediate word as to whether the government would try to appeal the latest ruling to the Supreme Court.
