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Craig Forcese

Craig Forcese

Professor

Craig Forcese is a full professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, where he also serves as the Vice Dean for Graduate Studies in Law. Mr. Forcese teaches public international law, national security law, administrative law, and constitutional law. He also teaches advanced international law and relations at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.

Craig was vice dean (graduate studies in law) in the Faculty of Law 2018-2021 and vice dean (JD program) in the Common Law Section 2011-2014. Prior to joining the law school faculty, he practiced law with the Washington D.C. office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP for two years, specializing in international trade and commercial law. Mr. Forcese is a member in good standing of the bars of Ontario, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Forcese earned a Master of Laws from Yale University, after graduating summa cum laude from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Laws. Mr. Forcese also holds a Bachelor of Arts Joint Honours in Anthropology and Geography from McGill University, and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University.

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Marie Deschamps

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Craig Forcese

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Matthew Cassar

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Foluke Laosebikan

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Colleen Swords

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Jim Chu

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Ian Holloway

Ian Holloway

The Honourable DR. Ian Holloway, P.C., C.D., Q.C.

Ian Holloway was appointed on January 30, 2015, as a Member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee.

Ian Holloway was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and grew up in New Brunswick. He received a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, a Master of Laws from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Doctorate from the Australian National University. He also completed the Advanced Executive Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and the Leadership 21 Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Before beginning his academic career, Dr. Holloway worked in private practice in Halifax with the McInnes Cooper law firm, focusing on labour and employment law. He also served as the law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada. Dr. Holloway served a term as Associate Dean at the Australian National University, as a visiting professor of law at the National University of Singapore, and also held an appointment at Cambridge University. He was the longest serving Dean of Law at the University of Western Ontario, holding the position from 2000 to 2011. He is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, where he has served since 2011.

Dr. Holloway is also a retired Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, who spent a total of 26 years serving in the Royal Canadian and Royal Australian Navies. He has published two books, numerous book chapters, and many articles in law journals in Canada and throughout the world. In addition, he has published a book on naval history as well as 25 essays and other pieces in various legal and non-legal periodicals.

Dr. Holloway is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society and the Law Society of Upper Canada. In 2003, he was elected a member of the American Law Institute, an honour held by only a few Canadians. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2005. He is currently a Trustee of the Law School Admission Council and a member of the NALP Foundation’s National Advisory Board. Dr. Holloway serves as a Governor of the Southern Alberta Division of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires and was a member of the Advisory Council to the Minister of Canadian Heritage on the Commemoration of the War of 1812. He also served as the legal education and training team leader for the Canadian Bar Association’s Futures project. Dr. Holloway was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration in 1989, the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Canadian Confederation in 1992, and in 2013, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

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Marie Deschamps

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Craig Forcese

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Matthew Cassar

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Foluke Laosebikan

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Colleen Swords

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Jim Chu

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Marie-Lucie Morin

Marie-Lucie Morin

The Honourable Marie-Lucie Morin, P.C.

The Honourable Marie-Lucie Morin was Executive Director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean at the World Bank Group from 2010 to 2013. Previously, Ms. Morin pursued a 30-year career in the federal Public Service. She was appointed National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet in 2008, having served as Deputy Minister for International Trade and Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.  

Earlier in her career, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ms. Morin completed assignments in San Francisco, Jakarta, London, and Moscow. In 1997 she was appointed Ambassador to Norway with accreditation to Iceland. 

Ms. Morin was named Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2012. She is also a member of the Order of Canada. 

Ms. Morin serves on corporate and not-for-profit boards.

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Marie Deschamps

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Craig Forcese

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Matthew Cassar

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Foluke Laosebikan

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Colleen Swords

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Jim Chu

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Foluke Laosebikan

Foluke Laosebikan

DR. Foluke Laosebikan, Q.C.

Dr. Foluke Laosebikan is a legal practitioner from Melfort, Saskatchewan, where she founded her own legal practice, FLK Law Firm. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1995 and to the Saskatchewan Bar in 2011.

Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Laosebikan immigrated to Canada in 2004. Since then, she has been involved in volunteer work, sitting on the board of directors of Melfort Cooperative Daycare and Collaborative Professionals of Saskatchewan Inc. for several years. A community-builder, Dr. Laosebikan has been an active member of her home-community, serving in a variety of roles in and around Melfort, including as a youth leader, an organizer for community enrichment and advancement programs and a legal support for the Northeast Women’s Shelter.

Dr. Laosebikan is an active member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan where she has served as a Bencher since 2017, participating on and chairing various committees including its Truth and Reconciliation Committee on which she currently serves as Co-Facilitator. She is a Past President of the Law Society of Saskatchewan. She is also one of the Appeal Panel Chairs of the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) Appeals Board.

Having keen interest in education, Dr. Laosebikan has been on the faculty of a few universities as Tutor, Facilitator, Trainee-Fellow and Assistant Professor. She has created and actively participates in public legal education programs in and around her community of Melfort and provides ongoing free legal information and free legal advice through her law firm.

Dr. Laosebikan holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Master of Laws from Obafemi Awolowo University, in Nigeria, as well as a Ph.D. in Law from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa.

Our Current Members

Marie Deschamps

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Craig Forcese

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Matthew Cassar

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Foluke Laosebikan

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Colleen Swords

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Jim Chu

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Matthew Cassar

Matthew Cassar

Matthew Cassar is a successful Canadian entrepreneur, businessman, and innovator in the field of information technology.

Mr. Cassar is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Sherweb, a Quebec-based cloud computing, messaging, and collaboration solutions company he co-founded in 1998. The company is a North American leader in information technology, providing services to more than 7,000 partners and 85,000 small and medium-sized enterprises and multinationals in more than 100 countries.

Mr. Cassar sits on the Board of Governors of the University of Sherbrooke’s School of Management and the Board of Directors of ACET, a Quebec-based accelerator focused on supporting emerging businesses and entrepreneurs working in technological innovation.

He holds a combined master’s degree in Law and Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke.

Our Current Members

Marie Deschamps

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Craig Forcese

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Matthew Cassar

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Foluke Laosebikan

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Colleen Swords

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Jim Chu

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Departmental Reports

Departmental Reports

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Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP)

Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP)

Financial Reports

Departmental Reports

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Technology Review

Technology Review

NSIRA’s review mandate requires it to understand how Canada’s national security and intelligence agencies use technology. The responsibilities of NSIRA’s Technology Directorate include:

  • leading the review of information technology (IT) systems and capabilities;
  • assessing a reviewed entity’s IT compliance with applicable laws, ministerial direction, and policy;
  • conducting independent technical investigations;
  • recommending IT system and data safeguards to minimize the risk of legal non-compliance;
  • producing reports explaining and interpreting technical subjects;
  • leading the integration of technology themes into yearly NSIRA review plans;
  • leveraging external expertise in the understanding and assessment of IT risks; and
  • supporting assigned NSIRA members in the investigation of complaints.
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The Technology Directorate is an evolving team with a growing academic research network, fostering domestic and international partnerships in the pursuit of technical expertise.

More information about our activities can be found in NSIRA’s annual reports. Individuals who are interested in working with the Technology Directorate or elsewhere at NSIRA are encouraged to apply here.

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Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures

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What we do

Our Mandate

The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) is an independent and external review body that reports to Parliament.

NSIRA reviews and investigates all Government of Canada national security and intelligence activities to ensure that they are lawful, reasonable and necessary. NSIRA also investigates public complaints regarding key national security agencies and activities. What enables NSIRA to be so thorough as a review agency is the NSIRA Act granting the statutory powers to access relevant information and to conduct reviews independently.

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The NSIRA Act

The NSIRA Act received royal assent as part of Bill C-59 and came into force on July 12, 2019, establishing a new federal entity, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA).

Reviews

NSIRA establishes independent expert review of national security and intelligence activities from all federal departments and agencies, and informs Parliament and Canadians of the lawfulness of their governments actions.

Investigations

NSIRA addresses all national security grievances against the RCMP, CSIS, and CSE, as well as security clearance grievances.

Expanded Review Mandate

NSIRA has a statutory mandate to review the activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), as well as the national security and intelligence activities of all other federal departments and agencies. This includes, but is not limited to, the national security and intelligence activities of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Department of National Defence (DND), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the Department of Justice (DoJ).

To fulfill its review mandate, NSIRA has unfettered access to classified information. This includes any and all information held by, or under the control of, departments and agencies, including information subject to a legal privilege. NSIRA independently determines which information is relevant to the conduct of its reviews. The sole exception to NSIRA’s right of access is information considered to be a Cabinet confidence.

In carrying out reviews, NSIRA may make any findings and recommendations it considers appropriate. In accordance with the NSIRA Act, however, it will pay particular attention to whether Government activities are lawful and comply with Ministerial Direction, and to whether the activities are reasonable and necessary.

Expanded Complaints Mandate

NSIRA inherits the complaints investigation functions of the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) and gained several new roles. SIRC was responsible for hearing public complaints regarding the actions of CSIS. It was also responsible for complaints related to the Government of Canada security clearance process, as well as specific matters and reports referred to under the Citizenship Act and the Canadian Human Rights Act.

NSIRA now investigates complaints against CSE, and complaints against the RCMP, referred by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC). The CRCC will continue to review all other activities of the RCMP.

History

NSIRA replaces SIRC, which reviewed CSIS. It also replaces the Office of the CSE Commissioner (OCSEC), which reviewed CSE. The NSIRA is also assuming responsibility for reviewing the national security and intelligence-related activities of the RCMP from the CRCC. 

The NSIRA Act addresses shortcomings in the national security accountability framework identified by Justice O’Connor in the 2006 report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar, and subsequently by many others.

Prior to Bill C-59, SIRC, OCSEC and the CRCC each focussed on reviewing one specific agency, but they lacked the statutory authority to review activities beyond their agency of focus in order to obtain a complete picture of cross-cutting activities. They also could not 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.

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