OTTAWA – The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Robert Décary, Q.C., as the new Commissioner of the Communications Security Establishment.
"I am pleased to announce Robert Décary’s appointment as Commissioner of the Communications Security Establishment," said Minister MacKay. "With a vast amount of experience, including work as a former Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal of Canada, Mr. Décary brings a profound understanding of the law with him to this important position.”
A graduate of the University of Montreal and the University of London (U.K.), Mr. Décary was appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal in 1990. Following his retirement from the Court in 2009, he was appointed Arbitrator to the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Following a varied and distinguished career with law firms in Montreal and Hull, Québec, Mr. Décary served as Agent in the Supreme Court of Canada for more than one hundred law firms and for the Attorney General of Québec. He was a member of the Committee established by the Supreme Court to review the rules of the Court, was Chairman of the Liaison Committee between the Supreme Court of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association, a member of the French Constitutional Drafting Committee within the Federal Department of Justice and a member of the Advisory Committee on the Reorganization of the Police Forces established by the Solicitor General of Québec.
Mr. Décary was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1986.
The Commissioner's mandate is threefold: to review the activities of the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) and attest to its compliance with the laws of Canada; report any instances of non-compliance to the Minister of National Defence and the Attorney General of Canada; and investigate any complaint when he deems it necessary. The Commissioner reports annually on his findings to the Minister of National Defence, who in turn submits the report to both houses of Parliament. To ensure he is able to fulfill his responsibilities, the Commissioner has access to all documents related to the operations of the agency, and to the personnel of CSEC.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.ocsec-bccst.gc.ca/index_e.php
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Contacts:
Office of the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Jay Paxton
Director of Communications
613-996-3100
Information: 1-866-377-0811/613-996-2353
After hours: 613-792-2973
www.forces.gc.ca
