New CSE Commissioner Appointed, 2006

NR–06.041
July 14, 2006

OTTAWA – The Honourable Gordon O'Connor, Minister of National Defence, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Charles D. Gonthier, Q.C., as the new Commissioner of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE).

"I am pleased to announce Mr. Gonthier's appointment to this important position," said Minister O'Connor. "As a former Justice of the Québec Superior Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, Mr. Gonthier is well qualified to review CSE's activities to ensure compliance with the law."

Commissioner Gonthier is a counsel in the firm of McCarthy Tétrault in Montréal. He served on the Québec Superior Court from 1974 until 1988 when he was appointed to the Québec Court of Appeal. The following year, he was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada in which capacity he served until his retirement in 2003.

He holds a baccalauréat from the University of Paris and a B.C.L. from McGill University and is also the recipient of several honorary degrees and titles. He has served as president or been a member of many judiciary bodies, including the Junior Bar Section of the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, and the Committee on Discipline of the Bar of Québec.

The Commissioner's mandate is threefold: to review the activities of the CSE and attest to their compliance with the laws of Canada; report any instances of non-compliance to the Minister of National Defence and the Attorney General of Canada; and investigate any complaint when he deems it necessary. The Commissioner reports annually on his findings to the Minister of National Defence, who in turn submits the report to both houses of Parliament. To ensure he is able to fulfill his responsibilities, the Commissioner has access to all documents related to the operations of the agency, and to the personnel of CSE.

The appointment is effective August 1, 2006 to July 31, 2009

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Biographies of Commissioner Gonthier are available at www.mccarthy.ca and www.scc-csc.gc.ca

For further information please contact Jae Malana, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of National Defence, (613) 996-3100

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