The Minister of National Defence, the Honourable David McGuinty, issued the following statement today in response to Madame Jocelyne Therrien's sixth and final External Monitor status report. The report provides an update on the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF) implementation of the recommendations of the Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR) released by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour in May 2022.
"CAF members represent Canada with pride and professionalism, both at home and abroad, and they deserve an environment that reflects the values they uphold. That is why the Defence Team continues to meaningfully evolve its culture to build a safer, more inclusive workplace for all.
"I welcome this final report from the External Monitor and thank her for her dedication and rigour over the last three years. Her thoughtful, independent perspective brought clarity and credibility to our progress. Her ongoing review and reporting has helped keep our work focused, transparent, and aligned with the expectations of our Members and Canadians.
"As noted by Madame Therrien in her report, "the CAF has made substantive inroads in response to the IECR recommendations" and "DND/CAF is on track to meeting the spirit and intent of most recommendations that are within its control." I am very pleased to confirm that to date, 36 recommendations of the IECR have been addressed and we expect that all recommendations will be nearly complete by the end of December 2025.
"Removing military jurisdiction over Criminal Code sexual offences was an early recommendation from Madame Arbour, and we acted quickly to begin implementing it
"In September 2025, I tabled Bill C-11, which proposes a series of amendments to the National Defence Act that would, among other things, eliminate the CAF's jurisdiction to investigate or prosecute any crime of a sexual nature committed in Canada, within the military justice system. In fact, the proposed amendments address key recommendations made in the independent and external reviews conducted by former Supreme Court Justices Arbour and Fish to make our system transparent, accountable, and aligned with Canadians' expectations. This Bill passed second reading on October 10, 2025, and is now being studied by the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence.
"In her report, Madame Therrien highlighted progress on several important actions that will have an enduring impact, such as: the introduction of a probationary period to recruit; the repeal of regulations related to the Duty to Report; access to legal assistance, at no cost to individuals who have experienced sexual misconduct within a DND/CAF context; and a more rigorous approach to the promotion of leaders. The report also acknowledges several key improvements to the CAF grievance system, including integrating input from external independent perspectives such as the Military Grievances External Review Committee. In response to IECR recommendations, the CAF has removed the obligation for individuals to exhaust internal complaint mechanisms before having access to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.These changes will help make the system more accessible and responsive, allowing for continuous improvement.
"The IECR made several recommendations to strengthen victim services, particularly the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC), most of which are now implemented. The SMSRC recently marked its 10-year anniversary of providing people affected by sexual misconduct with access to the support and trusted resources they need. Over the last 10 years, the SMSRC has grown significantly, expanding the range of services.. I was very pleased to see that, after years of close monitoring, Madame Therrien expressed confidence in the SMSRC's independence from the military Chain of Command, recognizing it as a trusted source of support and a key contributor to identifying systemic issues and driving continuous improvement.
"In her final report, Madame Therrien provides several suggestions to shape our continued culture evolution efforts. She emphasizes the need to continue strengthening the institutional response, particularly with respect to how we deal with CAF members who do not abide by the CAF's ethical standards. I agree, and I am confident that the changes recently made to the Administrative Review (AR) process in response to the IECR recommendations will improve fairness and transparency in handling sexual misconduct cases. Madame Therrien also offers several suggestions to further improve coherence, timeliness, and transparency of the AR process. We appreciate her suggestions and will be examining how they can be integrated in our approach to holding people accountable for inappropriate behaviour.
"Openness and transparency are paramount to our culture evolution. Since the release of the Comprehensive Implementation Plan in June 2024, we've been steadily advancing on a five-year roadmap to address over 200 recommendations from several key external reviews, including the IECR. We are currently on track to implement 137 of these recommendations by the end of December 2025.
As part of this work, and in alignment with Recommendation 8 of the National Apology Advisory Committee Report, I'm pleased to share that next week we will launch a call for applications to join my new External Advisory Committee on Anti-Black Racism. This marks an important milestone in our commitment to meaningful engagement and enduring institutional change.
"Implementing institutional change is complex and requires sustained effort and vigilance. I am deeply grateful that Madame Therrien has been guiding us on this journey over the past three pivotal years. Her insights have helped translate our commitments into meaningful action and real change for CAF members. As Madame Therrien notes in her report, "[t]his is a never-ending mission." Our work to foster an inclusive and professional work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect must, and will, continue."
