The Harper Government is supporting the RCMP in its ability to effectively serve and protect our communities for generations to come. On June 20, 2012, the Government introduced legislation to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act. Bill C-42: Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act received Royal Assent on June 19, 2013 and comes into force on November 28, 2014.
The Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act creates the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (CRCC) to replace the existing Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP. The legislation also requires the RCMP External Review Committee (ERC) to develop and publish service standards for its review of cases and report its performance against them. It modernizes the conduct, grievance, employment and human resource management processes for members of the RCMP and includes a statutory framework for investigations of serious incidents involving RCMP members. The Act also facilitates effective prevention, investigation and resolution of harassment complaints.
Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC)
Creating the CRCC responds to concerns raised by the public, contract jurisdictions, Parliamentary Committees and other stakeholders who feel that the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP lacks sufficient powers to effectively investigate public complaints against RCMP members.
The enhanced powers and authorities of the CRCC will increase the RCMP’s accountability to Canadians.
RCMP External Review Committee (ERC)
In support of fair and transparent labour relations within the RCMP, the ERC will be required under the Act to establish, and make public, service standards respecting the time limits within which its review of grievances and appeal cases are to take place. The ERC will provide information in its Annual Report to Parliament respecting the development of these service standards and its performance in relation to them.
Modernization of the RCMP Human Resources Regime
Amendments to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act help strengthen responsibility and accountability in the RCMP by providing the foundation for modernizing the RCMP’s human resource processes, including conduct management, harassment investigation and resolution, employment requirements, and appeal and grievance processes for members. A new Code of Conduct for RCMP Members has been developed and is based on a responsibility-based workplace framework that emphasizes the importance of maintaining the public trust while reinforcing the high standard of conduct expected of members. It uses plain language, and adopts a more proactive, positive and ethics-based approach consistent with other professions — emphasizing the manner in which members are expected to conduct themselves at all times, on or off-duty, in or outside of Canada. Harassment is also now specifically identified as a contravention of the RCMP Code of Conduct.
More information about the RCMP’s new human resources regime can be found on the RCMP Web site.
Investigation of Serious Incidents involving RCMP Members
The Act establishes a statutory framework for the handling of investigations of serious incidents involving RCMP members. It builds on the RCMP’s internal policy of 2010 regarding external investigations of serious incidents. This new process will improve the public accountability of these investigations.
