ARCHIVED - Improving the Transparency and Public Accountability of Criminal Investigations of Serious Incidents involving RCMP Members
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or record-keeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.
The proposed Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act outlines a statutory framework to improve the transparency and public accountability of criminal investigations of serious incidents involving RCMP members. This framework builds on an RCMP internal policy announced in 2010.
The proposed Bill would create a mechanism to investigate serious incidents involving the RCMP. In those instances, provinces will have the power to first consider the appointment of an investigative body (e.g., the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team) or a police force to investigate the alleged incident. If the province chooses not to appoint a body or police force, the RCMP will then refer the investigation to another police force. Only in rare cases where this is not possible, would the RCMP then conduct the investigation itself and inform the new Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP.
The Civilian Review and Complains Commission will have authority to appoint civilian observers to assess the impartiality of criminal investigations of serious incidents involving the RCMP, when the investigation is being done by the RCMP or, with the approval of the relevant provincial authority, when the investigation is being done by another police service.
- Date modified: