Australian court curtails government’s citizenship powers

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s highest court has made a landmark ruling that will curtail how governments can deal with extremists. The High Court ruled Wednesday that a Cabinet minister illegally canceled a suspected Islamic State group fighter’s citizenship. The court restored Delil Alexander’s Australian citizenship that was removed last year. The Home Affairs Minister at the time canceled his citizenship based on an intelligence report that Alexander had joined the Islamic State group. But the court ruled that the power she used was unconstitutional. A Constitutional law expert says the ruling means a government can no longer cancel Australian citizenship without involving a court. Alexander is in a Syrian prison on terrorism convictions but has denied involvement with the Islamic State group.