Today, the Honourable David McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, released the fifth biannual status report of the External Monitor, Madame Jocelyne Therrien.
The report provides an external, independent assessment of the progress made by the Department of Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in implementing the recommendations made by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour in the Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR), released in May 2022. Madame Therrien's observations are based on her direct discussions with Defence Team officials and review of relevant documents, policies and processes.
In this report, Madame Therrien notes that "the CAF is on track to meeting the intent of all IECR recommendations by the end of this year." She provides a status assessment for each outstanding or recently addressed recommendation, including successes, challenges and next steps to be taken, and cites examples of progress:
- IECR recommendations related to terminology and definitions, specifically the abolishment of the definition of "sexual misconduct" from policies and the inclusion of "sexual assault" as a standalone definition have been addressed;
- The CAF adopted the Canada Labour Code definition of harassment and violence, aligning its harassment program with the public service employee Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention (WHVP) program. This resulted in one unified approach for dealing with harassment and violence in the workplace;
- Expansion of Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) services to include a full-time legal resource dedicated to dispensing information and assistance to individuals who have experienced sexual misconduct within a DND/CAF context;
- A probational period leading to more efficient onboarding of new recruits and easier removal of new members who fall short of the ethical standards of the CAF: and
- A more systematic approach to promotions including a new selection process based on past conduct and character traits, and once promoted, strong supports for leaders including modernized, culture-related training materials, coaching sessions and leadership advice.
Of the 48 IERC recommendations, 36 have now been deemed addressed by the Defence Team. While the External Monitor notes that some changes may take years to fully implement, she acknowledges the sincere willingness to make things better on the part of those involved in implementing culture change.
In a statement, Minister McGuinty welcomed this report and thanked the External Monitor for her independent and external perspective. Minister McGuinty also outlined the progress made to date and measures the Government is taking to implement the remainder of Madame Arbour's recommendations and reaffirmed the commitment to introducing legislation that would amend the National Defence Act to further modernize the military justice system.
