Our Mandate
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) is an independent and external review body that reports to Parliament.
NSIRA ensures that Canada’s national security and intelligence agencies respect democratic values, abide by the law and do not abuse their power. We raise issues for public accountability through reviews and conduct investigations of complaints related to national security and intelligence.
The NSIRA Act
The NSIRA Act received royal assent as part of Bill C-59 and came into force on July 12, 2019, establishing the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) as a new federal entity.
NSIRA replaced two organizations: SIRC, which reviewed CSIS, and the Office of the CSE Commissioner (OCSEC), which reviewed CSE. NSIRA also assumed responsibility for reviewing the national security and intelligence-related activities of the RCMP from the CRCC.
Prior to Bill C-59, SIRC, OCSEC and the CRCC lacked the statutory authority to review activities beyond their agency of focus in order to obtain a complete picture of cross-cutting activities. They were also unable to collaborate or share classified information with other expert national security review bodies. NSIRA, by contrast, is able to review all national security and intelligence activities across the Government of Canada in an integrated manner.