This paper examines existing challenges associated with the current structure of national security accountability review in Canada. It then draws on best practices in other jurisdictions to propose a systematic overall of the Canadian national security review system.
The paper hopes to contribute to current discussions about reform in this area. It focuses particular attention on the question of how a national security committee of parliamentarians charged with a review function could be integrated with Canada’s existing system of expert review, and the latter then refurbished to reflect the need for more seamless security and intelligence community-wide review. These matters are both topical given signals from the new Liberal government about its intentions to reform the national security accountability system.