{"id":15283,"date":"2026-03-10T15:06:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T19:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.nsira-ossnr.gc.ca\/reviews-2\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T12:11:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T16:11:56","slug":"definition-of-nsira-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nsira-ossnr.gc.ca\/en\/reviews\/definition-of-nsira-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Definitions of NSIRA Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Definitions of NSIRA Review<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Why We Review?<\/span><\/span>Who We Review?<\/span><\/span>What We Review?<\/span><\/span>Conducting Reviews?<\/span><\/span><\/div>
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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 government\u2019s actions.

NSIRA has a broad mandate that allows its members to review any national security or intelligence activity undertaken by any Canadian federal organization. NSIRA reviews are focused on supporting democratic accountability and transparency in the use of national security and intelligence powers.

NSIRA completes in-depth reviews that assist Parliament and Canadians in determining whether the national security and intelligence community has complied with the law and Ministerial Direction. NSIRA also assesses whether the activities in question were reasonable and necessary.

NSIRA reviews contain findings and make recommendations that help reviewed organizations ensure compliance. But NSIRA is not limited to compliance, reasonableness, and necessity, and can make any findings or recommendations it considers appropriate.

Reviewed organizations provide responses to NSIRA\u2019s recommendations and implementation plans. NSIRA tracks the implementation of its recommendations on an ongoing basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Useful Resources:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

NSIRA Review Considerations Matrix<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency 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 or intelligence activities of all other federal departments and agencies. This includes, but is not limited to, the national security or 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As departmental roles and responsibilities evolve over time and departments gain new national security or intelligence responsibilities, NSIRA\u2019s review mandate will automatically extend to those activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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NSIRA\u2019s Review Plan is approved by NSIRA Members. Although NSIRA must undertake certain reviews each year as set out in the NSIRA Act, most of NSIRA\u2019s reviews are chosen by the NSIRA Members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members choose reviews of new, important, or of particularly high legal risk activities. The plan is regularly revised to ensure that it continues to reflect the rapidly changing national security and intelligence environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NSIRA reviews can focus on a program or activity within a single organization, or they can span multiple departments or agencies. Sometimes a review will begin in one department, but NSIRA then finds it necessary to \u201cfollow the thread\u201d into another department in order to ensure a complete understanding of events. NSIRA can also undertake broad thematic reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mandatory Yearly Reviews<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As set out in the NSIRA Act, NSIRA is required to conduct certain reviews each year related to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n