Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada Issues 2025 Annual Report

With barriers to oversight persisting, MPCC calls on Government to update legislation

Ottawa – The Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) released its 2025 Annual Report, which, for the third consecutive year, calls for legislative reform to strengthen its mandate, citing persistent barriers continuing to impede its ability to provide effective oversight of the military police.

Oversight challenges persist despite progress

In its Annual Report, the MPCC notes improvements in certain aspects of the oversight process involving the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (CFPM), including timeliness and the use of informal resolution. However, significant challenges remain.

Issues related to disclosure and the narrow interpretation of the MPCC’s mandate and investigative practices within the office of Professional Standards of the CFPM continue to limit the effectiveness of the oversight framework established by Parliament. A substantial portion of MPCC recommendations were again declined by the CFPM in 2025, which shows a continued lack of accountability for the shortcomings identified in military police investigations continuing to raise concerns about the overall responsiveness to oversight. Although the proportion of 32.2% declined recommendations represents an improvement from the previous year, when 44.4% of recommendations were declined, this refusal to implement the MPCC’s recommendations remains significant and concerning.

“Most of the concerns I raise in this report are not directed at individual military police officers, but rather at leadership and systemic issues that shape police accountability and culture,” said M^e Tammy Tremblay, MSM, CD, LL.M, Chairperson, Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada. “Ultimately, institutions are judged not only by the professionalism of their members, but by how they respond to scrutiny, especially in difficult moments. When harm has occurred, when lives have been lost, or when systemic issues are identified, the response cannot be silence or retreat into legalism. Independent civilian oversight is not a threat. It is a pillar of trust and a cornerstone of democracy.”

Proposed bill to strengthen Canada’s Military Police oversight

In both 2024, and 2025, the MPCC submitted comprehensive packages of proposed legislative reforms to Ministers Blair and McGuinty to strengthen the independent civilian oversight of the military police. These proposals build upon recommendations made by former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Morris Fish, as well as the MPCC’s institutional experience over the past 26 years.

“This marks the third consecutive Annual Report in which the MPCC has identified structural and operational challenges that impede the effective exercise of its statutory mandate," continued M^e Tremblay. "While the MPCC continues to work collaboratively with stakeholders and to address issues through individual investigations, public interest proceedings, and litigation, it is increasingly clear that certain barriers are rooted in the legislative framework itself.”

For many years, the oversight framework for the military police functioned largely because those applying it interpreted the legislation in a manner consistent with its purpose and with the broader principles of civilian oversight. Recent shifts toward a more restrictive, literal interpretation have exposed what could be seen as gaps in the statute. As a result, the need to modernize and clarify the legislative framework has become even more pressing. The MPCC therefore calls on the Government to ensure it has the tools necessary to hold military police powers to account in a meaningful and effective way.

Rise in complaints continues and first public interest hearings in 14 years

The MPCC continued to experience increased activity in 2025 opening 212 new files (198 in 2024), including 72 new conduct complaints (63 in 2024), and 124 requests for information (120 in 2024). The MPCC issued 12 Final Reports addressing allegations of military police misconduct or interference in military police investigations. It conducted 8 Public Interest Investigations into serious matters including sexual misconduct, arson, and attempted murder, and made 59 recommendations aimed at strengthening military policing.

For the first time in 14 years the MPCC convened, not one, but two public interest hearings to examine matters involving military police readiness, response to situations involving vulnerabilized individuals, and concerns related to police use of force and potential racial profiling.

The Orton Public Interest Hearing finished hearing evidence on May 15, 2026, and the process is ongoing. The Goulet Public Interest Hearing is ongoing and will continue into 2026.

Excellence in Workplace Culture

Despite the exceptional volume of work in 2025, the MPCC was ranked No. 2 on the Best Public Services Workplaces 2025 list, and saw strong participation and excellent results in the 2024 Public Service Employee Survey, particularly in the areas of respect, diversity, and overall satisfaction. The MPCC also reported that its workforce achieves full representation across all designated employment equity groups with 27% of employees identifying as members of a visible minority and 14% as persons with disabilities. Further, 25.47% of the MPCC's contracts in 2025 were awarded to Indigenous companies, far exceeding the initial target of 5%.

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Date modified:

2026-06-02