C-331 – An Act to amend the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (duty of candour) – requires the CSIS to report on any potential breaches of its duty of candour towards courts to the House.
A quick note here on just what “duty of candour” is. A duty of candour is basically the CSIS’s responsibility to be honest and open with courts. The objective is to ensure any information given to the courts is presented to help the courts come to an informed decision and not to achieve a specific goal. For example, if they suspect someone of being a spy and want a warrant to monitor them but they decide against providing evidence that points to the person being innocent that would be a breach of their duty of candour.
C-331 makes it so the CSIS has to present an annual report to the House of any actual or suspected breaches of its duty of candour, as well as any action taken in response to the breach.
Finally, C-331 makes a small change to the Oath of Office employees of the CSIS take to include promising to respect the duty of candour.
Progress
C-331 is currently outside of the Order of Precedence.