Consistency. Fairness. Timeliness.
NSIRA has the crucial role of investigating national security-related complaints ensuring that they are addressed with the greatest degree of consistency, fairness, and timeliness.
As Canada’s independent agency, part of NSIRA’s mandate is to investigate public complaints related to any activity carried out by CSIS and CSE as well as complaints relating to the denial or revocation of security clearances.
NSIRA also investigates complaints closely related to national security issues referred by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (CRCC), matters referred by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) and certain reports made to NSIRA under the Citizenship Act.
Make a complaint
As Canada’s independent review agency, part of NSIRA’s mandate is to investigate public complaints related to any activity carried out by CSIS and CSE as well as complaints relating to the denial or revocation of security clearances.
NSIRA also investigates complaints closely related to national security issues referred by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (CRCC), matters referred by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) and certain reports made to NSIRA under the Citizenship Act.
Call us at: 1-833-890-0293
Reach out to us by E-mail at: registrar-greffier@nsira-ossnr.gc.ca
National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
P.O. Box 2430, Station “D”
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5W5
Complaints Process
If NSIRA determines that the subject of the complaint falls within its mandate to investigate, NSIRA will proceed with its investigation by reviewing documentary evidence, conducting investigative interviews of the complainant and witnesses identified by the parties and/or conducting an oral or written hearing on some or all of the issues of the complaint.
Once NSIRA’s investigation is completed, it will prepare a report with its findings and/or recommendations. A declassified copy of the final report will be sent to the complainant. A declassified and depersonalized version of the final report will be published on NSIRA’s website.
Informal Resolution
A complaint made to NSIRA, including a referral from the CRCC, can be informally resolved if the complainant and responding department consent.
The purpose of an informal resolution is to resolve some or all of the issues in a complaint. An informal resolution may take the form of any number of remedial actions and has several benefits. The goal is to provide an opportunity for the parties to gain a better understanding of the situation that gave rise to the complaint and to provide them with an opportunity to deal with the complaint expediently and to the satisfaction of all parties.
If the complaint is resolved informally, the terms of the informal resolution must be set out in writing and signed by all parties. A party or the NSIRA Member assigned to the investigation of the complaint may, at any time, request a resolution meeting between the parties. In the event that a complaint cannot be resolved informally, the merits of the complaint will be investigated by a different NSIRA Member.