Annual Report 2001-2002 - An Operational Audit of CSIS Activities

Section 4: Inside the Security Intelligence Review Committee

APPOINTMENT OF A NEW MEMBER

In October 2001, the Governor in Council appointed the Honourable Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M. as a Member of the Committee for a five-year term.

RESEARCH AND REVIEW ACTIVITIES

Reporting regularly to the Committee's senior management, SIRC's researchersand analysts divide their time between SIRC premises and the Committee's facilities at the Service. The Service makes available a separate office space with computers at CSIS Headquarters for the exclusive use of SIRC staff and members.

SECTION 54 REPORT

Under section 54 of the CSIS Act, the Review Committee may at any time furnish the Solicitor General of Canada with a special report on any matter that relates to "the performance of its duties and functions." The Committee issued one such report in 2001–2002; it dealt with serious allegations made about the Service by an individual.

After examining all the available evidence and documentation the Committee determined that the allegations were without foundation.

BRIEFINGS

At its monthly meetings, the Chair and Committee Members meet with various senior government officials within Canada's security intelligence community to keep lines of communication open and stay abreast of new developments. When meetings are held outside Ottawa, Members visit CSIS regional offices.

PARLIAMENTARY RELATIONS

In the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Committee and selected staff made several appearances before various parliamentary committees including:

• In October 2001, the Chair, another Committee Member, and the Executive Director appeared before the Senate Special Committee on the topic of Bill C-36, the Anti-terrorism Act.
• In November 2001, the Committee gave a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance.
• In December 2001, the Executive Director and the Senior Counsel appeared before the Sub-Committee on National Security.
• In March 2002, the Chair, another Committee Member, the Executive Director and the Senior Counsel appeared before the Sub-Committee on National Security.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

• During the 2001–2002 reporting year, the Committee staff briefed delegations from the Czech Republic, the Republic of Mexico, the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Norway. All these delegations were seeking to exchange ideas on models of security intelligence review and oversight. The Committee expects exchanges such as these to continue.
• In September 2001, the Executive Director, the Deputy Executive Director, and selected staff attended the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies in Halifax, NS.
• In October 2001, the Executive Director led a seminar for undergraduate students at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. That same month, she addressed a graduate seminar at the Centre for Security and Defence Studies, The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, in Ottawa, Ont.
• In March 2002, the Executive Director and selected staff attended a conference in Montreal sponsored by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Law and Justice entitled, "Terrorism, Law and Democracy: How is Canada Changing Following September 11?"

INQUIRIES UNDER THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PRIVACY ACTS

Every year, SIRC receives requests for the release of material under both the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Table 4 records the number of requests for past two fiscal years.

With respect to requests for SIRC research reports, the Committee has adopted the practice of waiving the application fee because we receive numerous requests for the same report. The work required to process the first request for any given report thus does not have to be repeated.

BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES

The Committee continues to manage its activities within allotted resource levels. The chief expenses were for staff salaries and benefits, and for travel expenses within Canada for Committee hearings, briefings and audit activity (see Table 5).

SIRC STAFFING AND ORGANIZATION

The Committee has a staff of 16: an Executive Director, a Deputy Executive Director, a Senior Counsel, a Counsel, a Senior Paralegal and an ATIP Officer/ Analyst (both of whom are Committee registrars for hearings), a Research Manager, a Senior Policy Advisor, two Senior Research Analysts, two Research Analysts, a Financial/Office Manager and an administrative support staff of three to handle sensitive and highly classified material using special security procedures.

At their monthly meetings, Members of the Committee decide formally on the research and other activities they wish to pursue and set priorities for the staff. Management of the day-to-day operations is delegated to the Executive Director with direction, when necessary, from the Chair in her role as Chief Executive Officer.