Looking to the Future

The Major Commission of Inquiry and the Iacobucci Internal Inquiry

Two new inquiries that may have an impact on the future review environment are the Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182, led by the Honourable John Major, and the Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin, led by the Honourable Frank Iacobucci.

The Air India Commission's mandate is to make findings and recommendations regarding the assessments and actions of Canadian government officials before and after the 1985 bombing, and ways that any past mistakes can be avoided in the future. The Internal Inquiry is mandated to examine all aspects of the involvement of Canadian officials in relation to the detention of the three individuals in Syria or Egypt.

Review methodology

One of the recommendations of the independent operational review of my office conducted in spring 2006 was to document formally the methodology employed by the office to examine CSE's activities. I support this initiative entirely and I am confident that the office will derive benefit from it now and in the longer term. This will be an important preoccupation over the summer months.