Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada
The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, tabled the 2016 Annual Report of the Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada (MPCC) in Parliament on May 4, 2017.
The theme of the Report, Striking a Balance, runs through the work carried out by the Commission in 2016. For example, Chairperson Hilary McCormack completed a comprehensive review of its processes for handling complaints during 2016. As a result, the Commission has implemented internal changes which will lead to more timely investigations. In March 2016, the MPCC and the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal signed a protocol which restored MPCC access to the MP Group Orders, an issue which had been outstanding since 2013. These developments will allow the MPCC to strike an appropriate balance between fairness and timeliness, independence and collaboration.
The past year has been a busy one for staff at the MPCC, which opened up 104 new case files in 2016. The Commission also continued to work on the Public Interest Investigation (PII) into an anonymous complaint relating to the alleged mistreatment of detainees in Afghanistan by the Military Police launched on November 4, 2015. In June 2016, the MPCC began receiving large volumes of materials from the Military Police in relation to the PII. Materials totaling over 3,000 pages were reviewed in order to clarify its jurisdiction, determine the scope of the investigation and identify subjects. The MPCC also completed its review of a complex, multi-jurisdictional conduct complaint involving a sudden death investigation. Finally, the Commission continued its focus on outreach activities during 2016, targeting Military Police (MP) members in training at the MP Academy and on bases. These efforts have led to an 83% increase in attendance during visits to military locations in Canada over the past three years.
The MPCC also created an action plan to promote employee well-being and supports the federal government’s workplace mental health strategy.
Striking a Balance, provides an overview of some of the operational, corporate and policy developments the MPCC achieved in 2016.
It also includes several case summaries that illustrate the types of specific and systemic issues the MPCC investigates each year.
Hilary C. McCormack
Chairperson
Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada
Quotes
“‘Striking a balance’ applies equally to the work we do at the MPCC and to our partners who share our commitment to the highest standards of professional excellence. This theme also supports the Government of Canada’s focus on mental wellness in the workplace, and our commitment to help our employees ‘strike a balance’ between the demands of their professional and personal lives.”
Quick Facts
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- The MPCC opened 104 new case files and issued 12 interim reports and 14 final reports.
- The Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal accepted 95% of the MPCC’s recommendations made in the Commission reports, most of which focused on training, operational procedures and supervisory practices.
- The Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada was established in 1999 to provide civilian oversight of the Canadian Forces Military Police.
- The MPCC reviews and investigates complaints concerning military police conduct and investigates allegations of interference in military police investigations.
- While it reports to Parliament through the Minister of National Defence, the MPCC is both administratively and legally independent from the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces.
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