Efforts to enhance parliamentary oversight of national security agencies

Four former prime ministers and several retired Supreme Court members are among almost two dozen prominent Canadians calling for stronger security oversight.

Their statement, published Thursday in the Globe and Mail and La Presse newspapers, comes as the Conservative government proposes a new, expanded mandate for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to counter terrorist threats.

"Protecting human rights and protecting public safety are complementary objectives, but experience has shown that serious human rights abuses can occur in the name of maintaining national security," the statement says.

"Given the secrecy around national security activities, abuses can go undetected and without remedy.

Amid security debate, former PMs call for better intelligence accountability