Progress Bar – TEST
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Category: No-Index
Marie Deschamps
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Who we are
Who We Are
The creation of NSIRA addresses longstanding gaps in Canada’s framework for national security accountability and significantly strengthens independent scrutiny of national security and intelligence activities in Canada.
Leadership
NSIRA is composed of Members and a Secretariat. NSIRA Members are eminent Canadians who have been appointed by the Governor-in-Council on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Members are appointed for terms of five years, with the possibility of renewal for a second term. NSIRA Members approve NSIRA’s overarching review plan. They also examine and approve all NSIRA reviews, and serve as adjudicators for the quasi-judicial complaints process.
There can be up to seven NSIRA Members who are supported by a Secretariat with expertise in national security, policy, technology, law, civil liberties, and human rights. The Secretariat is led by an Executive Director who is appointed by the Governor-in-Council. It assists NSIRA Members in fulfilling the Agency’s mandate including the conduct of reviews as well as the quasi-judicial investigation of complaints.
Message from the Chair
It is an honour to be appointed Chair of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA).
As Chair, my priorities are to support NSIRA’s objectivity and independence in its review mandate, with a focus on the “trust but verify” principle, and, for its investigative mandate, to enhance access to justice, particularly through the new process put in place in July 2021. (see new process here)
In addition, I will continue to build the trust that Canadians have towards their system of national security and intelligence review and to strengthen NSIRA’s relationships with the departments and agencies that fall under its review mandate. At the same time, I will underscore NSIRA’s commitment to collaborate with other review bodies, its engagement with community stakeholders, and will work to increase transparency and accountability for national security and intelligence activities in Canada.
I am grateful for the support that I receive from NSIRA’s specialized and diversified team and I look forward to continuing to work with my NSIRA colleagues to build on NSIRA’s accomplishments in the years ahead.
The Honorable Marie Deschamps, C.C.
Chair, National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
Current Members
Marie Deschamps
(Chair)
Craig Forcese
(Vice-Chair)
Yves Côté
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Foluke Laosebikan
–
Colleen Swords
–
Jim Chu
–
Former Members
Matthew Cassar
Marie-Lucie Morin
Faisal Mirza
Ian Holloway
Pierre Blais
Yves Fortier
Murray Rankin –
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Marie Deschamps
Marie Deschamps
The Honourable Marie Deschamps, C.C.
The Honourable Marie Deschamps received a Licentiate in Laws from the Université de Montréal in 1974 and an LL.M. from McGill University in 1983. The Royal Military College of Canada, the Université de Montréal and the Université de Sherbrooke awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2021, 2008 and 2014, respectively. She received the F. R. Scott Award for Distinguished Service from the Faculty of Law at McGill University in 2013. She was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada in 2013 and received the distinction Lawyer Emeritus from the Quebec Bar in 2014.
Madame Deschamps was called to the Quebec Bar in 1975 and practiced as a litigator at Martineau Walker and Sylvestre et Matte in family, civil and commercial law; then at Rouleau, Rumanek and Sirois in criminal law; and finally at Byers Casgrain in civil and commercial law. She was appointed judge to the Quebec Superior Court in 1990, to the Quebec Court of Appeal in 1992, and to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2002. She retired from the judiciary in August 2012.
In 2014, Madame Deschamps was appointed to conduct the External Review into Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2015, she was named Chair of the panel for an External Independent Review of the United Nations Response to Allegations of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in the Central African Republic. In 2016, she served as member of the review committee on Quebec provincial judges remuneration. In 2017, she was appointed Chair of the Council of Canadian Academies’ Expert Panel on Medical Assistance in Dying. In 2018, she was designated as Assessor for the LGBT Purge Class Action settlement and in 2020 as Chair of the Exceptions Committee for the Indian Day School Class Action Settlement. She was appointed a member of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency in 2019 and Chair in 2021. She was also appointed Jurisconsult of the Quebec National Assembly in 2023.
Madame Deschamps has been an adjunct professor at the law schools of the Université de Sherbrooke since 2006 and of McGill University since 2012. She rejoined the Quebec Bar in 2013. She served as member of the Boards of Directors of Educaloi from 2013 to 2019 and of Energir from 2014 to 2019, and acts as Trustee of Pro Bono Canada since 2013.
Our Current Members
Marie Deschamps
Craig Forcese
Yves Côté
Foluke Laosebikan
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Yves Côté
Yves Côté
Yves Côté is a lawyer with extensive experience in senior public-sector roles, including serving as Commissioner of Canada Elections.
He began his career in 1977 as a legal officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. In 1981, he joined the federal Department of Justice, where he advised several departments, including Health Canada and National Defence. Over the years, he held several senior positions and eventually became Assistant Deputy Minister and Head of the Business and Regulatory Affairs Portfolio.
In 2003, he moved to the Privy Council Office as Counsel to the Clerk of the Privy Council and as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet (Legislation and House Planning). He then served as Ombudsman for the Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence.
In 2008, Mr. Côté was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Justice, where part of his work involved coordinating national-security advice across government. He later became Commissioner of Canada Elections, a position he held from 2012 to 2022.
More recently, he worked as a senior policy advisor with the Public Order Emergency Commission (the Rouleau Commission) and as an executive in residence at the University of Ottawa.
Mr. Côté holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from Université Laval and a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from the University of Ottawa. He has been a member of the Barreau du Québec since 1977 and was appointed King’s Counsel in 1992. In 2000, the Chief of the Defence Staff awarded him the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service.
A lifelong jogger and avid reader, he has recently returned to studying Latin, a language he loves. He lives in Gatineau.
Our Current Members
Marie Deschamps
Craig Forcese
Yves Côté
Foluke Laosebikan
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Review of the Communications Security Establishment’s Disclosures of Canadian Identifying Information (2025): Notification Letter
August 5, 2025
Subject: Notification of Review of the Communications Security Establishment’s Disclosures of Canadian Identifying Information
Dear Minister McGuinty,
I am writing on behalf of the Members of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) to inform you that NSIRA has initiated a review of the Communications Security Establishment’s (CSE’s) Disclosures of Canadian Identifying Information (CII).
This review is being conducted pursuant to paragraph 8(1)(a) of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act (NSIRA Act). The NSIRA Act grants NSIRA full and timely access to all information held by reviewed departments and agencies, including classified and privileged information, with the exception of Cabinet confidences.
This review will examine CSE’s disclosures of CII to Government of Canada and other partners. In doing so, NSIRA will assess CSE’s compliance with the law, policy requirements, and the reasonableness and necessity of this activity. This will be NSIRA’s second review of this activity but the first to examine it since the coming into force of the Communications Security Establishment Act.
NSIRA will engage with your officials regarding this review. As the review progresses, NSIRA’s review team will be in regular contact with them with requests for information. Such requests may involve documents, system access, written explanations, briefings, interviews, surveys, and any other information that NSIRA determines to be of relevance to this review. This review may also include independent inspections of some technical systems. NSIRA’s expectations for responsiveness are available online at https://nsira-ossnr.gc.ca.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation and support to the independent review process, which is key to transparency and democratic accountability.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Marie Deschamps, C.C.
Chair, National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
cc
- Caroline Xavier, Chief, Communications Security Establishment
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