On June 19, 1996, the Minister of National Defence announced my appointment to the position of Communications Security Establishment Commissioner, pursuant to Part II of the Inquiries Act, for a term of three years. I serve in this capacity on a part-time basis, and my mandate, which is established by Order in Council, is as follows:
to review the activities of CSE for the purpose of determining whether they are in compliance with the law,
to advise the Minister of National Defence and the Attorney General of Canada of any activity of CSE that I believe may not be in compliance with the law,
not to review issues for which other avenues of redress are established by statute,
to submit to the Minister a report containing classified information when I consider it advisable,
to submit to the Minister an annual report in both official languages on my activities and findings for tabling in Parliament.
On May 9, 1996 I retired as a judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal after more than twenty-seven years on the bench. Upon accepting my appointment as CSE Commissioner, I became immersed in aspects of Canada's security and intelligence community in general and CSE in particular. In this regard, the origins of CSE are worth noting.
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