Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction of the Commission

The Commission has jurisdiction over a complaint from any individual that concerns the conduct of an RCMP member while performing a duty or function under the RCMP Act or the Witness Protection Program Act. These duties and functions include criminal investigations, public complaint investigations, policing public events, security assignments and intelligence operations.

A complaint must also meet the following criteria:

• the person complained about must have been an RCMP member or other person appointed or employed under Part I of the RCMP Act at the time of the alleged misconduct (even if they are not any longer);
• the complaint must be filed within one year of the alleged misconduct, unless an extension is granted by the Commission; and
• the alleged misconduct must not relate to an RCMP Code of Conduct decision under Part IV of the RCMP Act.

In addition, the Commission has the discretion to refuse certain complaints under Part VII of the RCMP Act. For example, it may refuse to deal with complaints that may be better addressed elsewhere or complaints made by third parties who have no connection to the alleged incident.

Police Oversight in Canada

The CRCC has a "no wrong door" policy with respect to complaints about the duty-related conduct of RCMP members, and works closely with police oversight partners across Canada.

The table below provides a brief overview of the mandate, jurisdiction and responsibilities of the various agencies in Canada responsible for investigating serious incidents involving police, and complaints concerning police conduct.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is accurate and reliable as of December 6, 2023. The information in this table is general in nature and provided as a quick reference. Please refer to the legislation and regulations of the respective provinces for more information.