Chapter 3: Communication and Outreach
3.1 Overview
63. Communication and outreach activities continue to play a vital role in building public confidence in Canada’s military justice system. Building on previous years’ work, the DMP has pursued engagements with different organizations to further enhance the confidence in Canada’s military justice system. These involve key stakeholders in the military justice process, as well as national and international strategic partners and organizations. This Chapter sets out communications and outreach activities pursued by the DMP over the course of the reporting period.
3.2 CAF Chain of Command
64. The military justice system exists to promote the operational effectiveness of the CAF by contributing to the maintenance of discipline, efficiency, and morale. It also ensures that justice is administered fairly and with respect for the rule of law. As the military justice system is one of several tools available to the chain of command to advance these objectives, it is imperative that the DMP, and Military Prosecutors within the CMPS, actively and effectively engage the chain of command throughout the court martial process.
65. This reporting period, the DMP, accompanied by a DDMP, visited commanders and commanding officers in Kingston ON, Halifax NS, Greenwood NS, Gagetown NB and Toronto ON. Key discussions during these visits touched upon the investigation and prosecution of service offences post C-77 implementation and the use of the summary hearing process to further unit disciplinary needs.
3.3 Military Police
66. It is crucial for CMPS to maintain a strong relationship with investigative agencies, while at the same time respecting the independence of each organization. Good relationships with investigative agencies ensure that the prosecutor and the investigator exercise their respective roles independently but cooperatively, and help to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the CMPS as a prosecution service.
67. Over the course of this reporting period, members of CMPS gave presentations for the Military Police Investigator Course at the Military Police Academy, at the annual review for CFNIS detachment commanders, and for the indoctrination course for new CFNIS investigators. These presentations enhanced the knowledge of the military justice system and developments in the law of policing for investigators. The ADMP and DDMP Ops also had regular and meaningful engagement with the Deputy Provost Marshal and other key leaders in the Canadian Forces Military Police Group.
3.4 Federal-Provincial-Territorial Heads of Prosecution Committee
68. The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Heads of Prosecution (HoP) Committee was established in 1995. The Committee is made up of the heads of each of Canada’s 12 prosecution agencies. This includes the heads of prosecution for the 10 provincial prosecution services, as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, and the DMP. The mandate of the HoP Committee is to serve as a national forum for the discussion of prosecutions and prosecution-related issues, and to facilitate the exchange of information and best practices on legal and managerial issues among the prosecution services of Canada. Since its inception, the Committee has helped promote assistance and cooperation among prosecution services and facilitated the coordination of national prosecution issues and the adoption of consistent prosecution positions on those issues whenever possible. The HoP Committee also serves as a national advisory body on prosecution issues in Canada, providing a venue where stakeholders can consult and seek the views of the Canadian prosecution community.Footnote 8
69. During this reporting period, the DMP attended the Spring session of the committee in Halifax NS and the Fall session in Yellowknife NWT.
3.5 International Association of Prosecutors
69. The DMP and the ADMP attended the 28th International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) Annual Conference and General Meeting from 24-27 September 2023 in London, UK. This Conference also served as the venue for the 5th Specialist Network of Military Prosecutors (NMP) Session. This Session provided an opportunity to revitalize the NMP following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Session included three keynote speakers, including the DMP. The DMP discussed how concurrent jurisdiction between civilian and military prosecuting authorities is exercised in Canada and highlighted some of the current challenges that the CMPS faces.
70. The next IAP Annual Conference and General Meeting will be held from 29 September to 2 October 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.