What is SIRC?
The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC or the Committee) is an independent, external review body which reports to the Parliament of Canada on the operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS or the Service). It provides assurance to Parliament that CSIS is complying with the law, policy and Ministerial direction, by conducting reviews of CSIS activities and by investigating complaints.
Who are the members of SIRC?
The Committee is composed of five members, chaired by the Honourable Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M. The other Members are the Honourable Baljit S. Chadha, P.C., the Honourable Roy Romanow, P.C., O.C., Q.C., the Honourable Raymond Speaker, P.C., O.C. and the Honourable Aldéa Landry, P.C., C.M., Q.C.
Who appoints them?
Members are appointed by the Governor-in-Council after consultation by the Prime Minister with the Leaders of the Opposition parties. All of the Committee members must be Privy Councillors, which means that they have full access to highly classified information, a privilege which is not granted to most Parliamentarians.
Why was SIRC created?
SIRC was created in response to a recommendation of the McDonald Commission, which looked into the activities of the RCMP Security Service. Its final report, published in 1981, led to the creation of a new civilian intelligence service as well as two review organizations to watch over it. SIRC was established in 1984 under the same legislation which created CSIS. It helps to ensure that CSIS does not undermine Canadians’ fundamental rights and freedoms while CSIS carries out its mandate to guard against threats to national security.
What’s the difference between an oversight and a review agency?
An oversight body looks on a continual basis at what is taking place inside an intelligence service and has the mandate to evaluate current investigations or work in “real time.” This is the situation in both the United Kingdom and the United States. In Canada, both the Inspector General, CSIS and SIRC are review bodies which examine past operations of the Service. The advantage of review in comparison to oversight is that SIRC can make a full assessment of CSIS’s past performance, without being compromised by any involvement in its day-to-day operational decisions and activities.
How much access does SIRC have to classified information?
The CSIS Act gives SIRC the right to have “access to any information under the control of the Service or of the Inspector General.” As a result, SIRC has the absolute authority to examine all of the Service’s activities, no matter how sensitive and no matter how classified that information may be. The sole exception is Cabinet confidences, which means deliberations among Ministers.
What’s the difference between SIRC and the Inspector General, CSIS?
The IG, CSIS is an internal review body which monitors CSIS activities independently and reports directly to the Minister. SIRC is an independent, external review body which reports to Parliament. While the main focus of the IG is to prepare an assessment of the CSIS Director’s annual classified report, SIRC conducts in-depth reviews of CSIS activities, investigates complaints and provides an annual report to Parliament. There is no comparable public complaints process under the IG.
What must I do if I want to file a complaint against CSIS?
SIRC’s complaint process is governed by the CSIS Act. If you have a complaint about “any activity or thing” done by CSIS, Section 41 of the CSIS Act will apply. If you have a complaint concerning the denial or revocation of a security clearance necessary to obtain or keep federal government employment or contracts, Section 42 of the CSIS Act applies. In both cases, the procedures for making a complaint are explained on SIRC’s website.
How can Canadians find out what SIRC does?
Every year, SIRC prepares an annual report which is publicly tabled in Parliament and is available on its website. Every study conducted, every query pursued and every complaint investigated is reflected in the pages of SIRC’s annual report. Because SIRC is legally obliged to withhold classified information and protect the privacy of individuals, the annual report is an edited version of SIRC’s internal reports.
Why should Canadians trust SIRC?
Parliament and the people of Canada must have confidence that the Service is acting within the law. SIRC’s role is to show that knowledgeable individuals, independent from CSIS and from Government but familiar with the security intelligence environment, will render an honest and fair-minded assessment based on the facts.
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