Safety ..at last? But for who?

Read the history of R. v. Charkaoui. After many years of imprisonment and state monitoring of his every move, the Moroccan Montreal school teacher's release has been ordered. Many celebrate the apparent triumph of human rights over unjust, unwarranted and dangerous state powers over the lives of Canadians; 'security certificates' in the eyes of many represent a dangerous breatch of the fundamental principle of habeus corpus.

But others are concerned by these latest developments. In particular, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) believes that the developments in the case against Charkaoui compromise its ability to ensure the safety of Canadians. "CSIS cannot protect the safety and security of Canadians effectively if the subjects of its investigations are aware of its methods of operation," CSIS spokesman Manon Berube said to the Globe and Mail. "It is imperative that a security intelligence service protect its methodologies and investigative techniques."

Thus the question: is safety for the majority of Canadians worth the sacrifice of a few people's rights? At what point --if at all -- does harming one person to help another become ethical and moral?

(See how your knowledge of the issue compares to others!)