Make a disclosure

According to the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings relating to public bodies, the following are considered wrongdoings:

  • Misuse of a public body’s funds or property;
  • Serious breach of ethics and professional conduct;
  • Serious mismanagement within a public body and abuse of authority;
  • Ordering or advising a person to commit a wrongdoing;
  • Damage or risk of damage to health or safety of a person or the environment; 
  • Contravention of a law or regulation applicable in Québec.

See the What is a wrongdoing? section for more details. 

Anyone (staff, subcontractor, client, citizen, parent, etc.) can disclose about a wrongdoing committed or about to be committed within a public body.  

Important - You can speak out even if you are not an employee of the public body in question.

A wrongdoer can be a natural or a legal person. For example, a wrongdoer may be:

  • A member of the staff of the public body concerned, regardless of rank;
  • A business or other entity that has ties to the public body by means of an agreement that governs its operation or funding.

The Protecteur du citoyen cannot handle disclosures that are not within the public interest (for example, a personal conflict). The same holds true if the alleged wrongdoing:

  • Is brought before a court, whether a judicial tribunal (Cour du Québec, Cour supérieure, etc.) or an administrative tribunal (Tribunal administratif du Travail, Tribunal administratif du Québec, etc.), or if a decision has been handed down;
  • Has been committed by an elected municipal official and constitutes a breach of the code of ethics and professional conduct;
  • Has been committed within a private company and does not involve a public body;
  • Breaches the rules governing tenders for public contracts.

For other examples, see the What is a wrongdoing? section.

As soon as we receive your disclosure, we acknowledge receipt by phone or in writing within the next 2 working days. A written notice will be sent to you within 5 working days. Obviously, this does not apply if you chose to remain anonymous.

Next, if your disclosure is admissible (that is, if we can intervene),audits to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that wrongdoing has occurred or is about to occur. Once this is done, we decide whether to have a formal investigation. At each phase (audits and investigation), we keep you apprised. The Protecteur du citoyen sends you a notice when it has finished handling your disclosure.

When the audit or investigation has been completed, we make recommendations to the public body concerned as needed.

For more information, see the Service Statement and the Handling disclosures sections.

When you make a disclosure or cooperate in an audit or investigation stemming from the disclosure, you are allowed to reveal any information you would not otherwise be authorized to give out for reasons of confidentiality and loyalty.

You are protected under the Act respecting protection against reprisals related to the disclosure of wrongdoings.

See the How am I protected? section to know more about protection against reprisal.

No. If you speak out about a wrongdoing publicly or through the media, the Act will not protect you against reprisal.

Exception – You can be protected against reprisal if these two conditions apply:

  • You are in a situation that poses a serious risk to a person’s health or safety or the environment;
  • And the situation is so urgent that you cannot make a disclosure to the Protecteur du citoyen or the Commission municipale du Québec.

Proof is not required. However, to help us with audits ‒ or investigations if needed ‒, you must:

  • describe the wrongdoing (date, place, what happened);
  • indicate the public body concerned (name and address of the public body, directorate or section involved, etc.);
  • provide as much information as possible (names and titles of those involved, of the witnesses, etc.).

You can speak out immediately using our secure online form.