Federal judge rules U.S. no-fly list violates Constitution

[Nye Bevan]

(Reuters) - The U.S. government's no-fly list banning people accused of links to terrorism from commercial flights violates their constitutional rights because it gives them no meaningful way to contest that decision, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Anna Brown, ruling on a lawsuit filed in federal court in Oregon by 13 Muslim Americans who were branded with the no-fly status, ordered the government to come up with new procedures that allow people on the no-fly list to challenge that designation.

"The court concludes international travel is not a mere convenience or luxury in this modern world. Indeed, for many international travel is a necessary aspect of liberties sacred to members of a free society," Brown wrote in her 65-page ruling.

"Accordingly, on this record the court concludes plaintiffs inclusion on the no-fly list constitutes a significant deprivation of their liberty interests in international travel," Brown said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/24/us-usa-noflylist-idUSKBN0EZ2EU20140624

Excellent. The no-fly list in its current form is a Kafkaesque obscenity. If they want to put people on the no-fly list as a criminal penalty, part of the punishment for people found guilty in court beyond a reasonable doubt, and having the normal right of appeal, fine. But nobody should be arbitrarily deprived of the right to fly as they are under the current system.

[gratuitous]

1. Judge Anna Brown? It must be Oregon

We'll see if this ruling stands up on appeal. I wonder if the Department of Justice will energetically contest the ruling or if it will shrug and say, "You know, the rights of our citizens come first. Fear-mongering and hyperbole really aren't any way to run the country."

Hey, it could happen! Or not.

[Louisiana1976]

2. That's good news. The no-fly list is a crock. I've heard of innocent people including

children ending up on that list.

[hlthe2b]

3. About time-- how many years has this been used to indiscriminately ruin people's livelihood & rights

now?

[msanthrope]

4. Excellent....there should be a way to maintain the list, but also reasonably challenge the

designation.

[derby378]

5. I say kill the list altogether - the fish stinks from the head down

We'll be purging ourselves of at least one remnant of the Bush administration, and that's a good thing.