National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians provides the Prime Minister with its Special Report on the Lawful Access to Communications by Security and Intelligence Organizations

Ottawa, March 04, 2025 — Today the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) provided the Prime Minister with its Special Report on the Lawful Access to Communications by Security and Intelligence Organizations. The Committee also provided the report to the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of National Defence.

The report includes the Committee’s unanimous findings and recommendations. The Committee looks forward to the government’s response to the recommendations.

The report was submitted consistent with subsection 21(2) of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act (NSICOP Act). The Prime Minister will now consider whether there is any information in the report, the disclosure of which would be injurious to national security, national defence or international relations, or constitutes solicitor-client privileged information. Section 21(6) of the NSICOP Act requires that the Prime Minister table a declassified version of the report in both houses of Parliament within 30 sitting days.

Committee members

• Ms. Patricia Lattanzio, M.P. (Chair)
• Mr. Stéphane Bergeron, M.P.
• Mr. Don Davies, M.P.
• The Honourable Patricia Duncan, Senator
• Mr. Darren Fisher (member until December 20, 2024)
• Ms. Iqra Khalid, M.P. (member until September 17, 2023)
• The Honourable Marty Klyne, Senator
• The Honourable Frances Lankin, P.C., C.M., Senator (member until October 20, 2024)
• Mr. James Maloney, M.P. (member until September 17, 2023)
• The Honourable David J. McGuinty, P.C., M.P. (Chair until December 20, 2024)
• Mr. Rob Morrison, M.P.
• Mr. Alex Ruff, M.S.C., C.D., M.P.
• Ms. Brenda Shanahan, M.P.

Background

Pursuant to the NSICOP Act, the Committee may review:

• the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative and financial framework for national security and intelligence;
• any activity carried out by a department that relates to national security or intelligence, unless the activity is an ongoing operation and the appropriate Minister determines that the review would be injurious to national security; and,
• any matter relating to national security or intelligence that a minister of the Crown refers to the Committee.

NSICOP members hold the highest level of security clearance and are bound by the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act.