Annual Report 2008-2009 - Accountability in a New Era of Security Intelligence

Appendix B: CSIS at a glance

Each year, as part of SIRC’s annual report, the Committee presents important information and statistics related to CSIS operations. This data, provided by the Service, provides readers with insight into some of the Service’s key duties and functions, as well as highlights any major changes or developments within CSIS.

For SIRC’s 2008–2009 Annual Report, this information is grouped in two categories: security intelligence activities and security screening activities.

A. Security intelligence activities

Targeting

When the Service has reasonable grounds to suspect that an individual or an organization could pose a threat to Canada, it must first establish an investigation in which it exercises its powers proportionate to the threat that is posed. Figure 1 indicates the number of targets investigated by CSIS during the period under review, relative to previous fiscal years.

Note: * Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Figure 1 long description

Warrants

The power to authorize intrusive investigative techniques rests strictly with the Federal Court of Canada. If the Court grants a warrant, it provides CSIS with authorization to use investigative techniques that would otherwise be illegal, such as the monitoring of telecommunications activities. Table 3 shows the number of federal court-approved warrants that CSIS had during the period under review, relative to previous years.