National security laws

Canada’s Intelligence Reform: A Closer Look at Pending National Security Legislation

Canada is undertaking the most substantial reforms to its national security law since 1984, when its first civilian intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, was created. Like other democracies attempting to lawfully use emerging technologies, Canada is seeking to codify once-murky intelligence practices into statute.

The 150-page bill being debated in Parliament, known as C-59, responds to issues that have become common among democracies in the digital era: What roles should intelligence services play in disrupting threats and not simply collecting information on them? How can information be shared within the government and internationally while addressing concerns about privacy and potential misuse? How broad a remit should intelligence services have to compile troves of data in which to detect threats? And how can a liberal democracy best structure its oversight and review institutions to guard against improper conduct by security and intelligence services—and to assess their efficacy?