Watchdog raps intelligence service over lack of reporting on possibly illegal acts

A new watchdog report says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service may have run afoul of the law when it didn’t fully inform the public safety minister about potentially illegal conduct by CSIS employees, including possible Charter violations.

The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency report, which covers 2024, says reporting unlawful conduct to the minister is a fundamental accountability measure in the CSIS Act, the legislation governing the spy service.

The CSIS Act states that if the CSIS director believes an employee may have broken the law while performing their duties, the director must report the incident to the minister.

The watchdog says CSIS has consistently interpreted this responsibility as a requirement for the director to report only those incidents that could amount to a prosecutable offence.

The review notes that in 2025, CSIS approved a memorandum endorsing a broader interpretation of the reporting requirements in the legislation.

The watchdog says it expects to see implementation of the required reporting and that it will continue to monitor the issue.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2026.