On April 6, 2023, Québec Ombudsman Marc-André Dowd sent a brief to the National Assembly’s Committee on Institutions. In it, he commented on Bill 14 – Act to amend various provisions relating to public security and to enact the Act to assist in locating missing persons.
The Québec Ombudsman commends the will to modernize the legislation governing public security. In the brief, it underscores the importance of strengthening the credibility of the ethics and professional conduct process so that the public trusts the policing institution. It also lays out the principles of impartiality and fairness in the police ethics process and concerning correctional services.
The Québec Ombudsman also draws the attention of parliamentarians to the inclusion on several occasions of First Nations and Inuit concerns regarding the proposed provisions. It shares his proposals concerning popular education and police force training.
The Québec Ombudsman made 13 recommendations mainly aimed at:
- Fostering the exercise of citizens’ right to recourse;
- Strengthening the transparency of the institutions affected by the Bill;
- Offering a response to some of the calls for action of the Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec (Viens Commission).
The Québec Ombudsman’s brief on Bill 14 (PDF, 421 KiB, in French only)
