Military Police Complaints Commission's Annual Report
Tabled In Parliament Today

OTTAWA, April 24, 2001 - The Honourable Art Eggleton, Minister of National Defence, tabled the Military Police Complaints Commission's Annual Report for the year 2000 in the House of Commons today.

The Annual Report, covering the period of January 1^st to December 31, 2000, describes the role and powers of the Commission, the system of ethics applicable to the 1,200 military police members and the process for handling conduct and interference complaints. In addition, it provides a review of the Commission's activities for the year 2000 and projections for 2001.

The Commission's Chairperson, Ms Louise Cobetto, set-up this new civilian oversight body while conducting the day-to-day business related to its mandate. "At the conclusion of this first full year of activity, my entire team and I can look back on the past 12 months with a sense of satisfaction", said Ms Cobetto.

From January 1^st to December 31, 2000, the Commission gained practical experience in nearly all areas of activity related to its mandate, notably by examining 83 various complaint files:

• Fifty-five (55) conduct complaints;
• One (1) interference complaint;
• Twenty (20) complaints falling outside of the jurisdiction of the Commission;
• Seven (7) other files were opened following discussions with complainants who indicated that they intended to eventually submit a formal complaint
.

Under the terms of its mandate, the Commission, which became operational on December 1^st, 1999, conducts its investigations in both a thorough and efficient manner, exercising sole jurisdiction over the monitoring and reviewing of conduct complaints about the military police in carrying out their policing duties and functions. The Commission has exclusive responsibility to deal with complaints of interference in any military police investigation.

The Military Police Complaints Commission, a quasi-judicial civilian oversight authority, is external, autonomous and independent of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. The creation of the Commission was intended to make the handling of complaints involving the military police more transparent and accessible.

For more information contact
Michael O'Shaughnessy,
Executive Asst to the Chairperson and Communications Manager, MPCC
Telephone: (613) 947-5704; Fax: (613) 947-5705;
e-mail: oshaughnessym@mpcc-cppm.gc.ca