Is Iran’s Revolutionary Guard considered a ‘terrorist entity’ in Canada?

Last week, a judge in Ontario ruled that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was in fact a “terrorist entity”. This is a move that politicians on all sides have advocated for, as well as human rights groups, and many Canadian citizens. So why was a judge making that determination and not the federal government, who has so far declined to do so?

Stewart Bell is a national online journalist for Global News, he joins us to discuss the implications of the Ontario Superior Court ruling, and what factors government’s consider before slapping an organization with a terrorist designation.

“There’s political sensitivities and foreign policy priorities that can weight into it,” he said, “it is a minefield when you go out and try and label certain organizations.”

So why did one judge rule that the IRGC is a terrorist organization according to Canadian law? Who should ultimately be making that call? And what does it mean for the groups that meet the definition?

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