Defence Minister Anita Anand has appointed an external monitor to oversee efforts to address sexual misconduct and harassment at the Department of National Defence.
Jocelyne Therrien will oversee implementation of the 48 recommendations in former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour’s Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR) of harassment and sexual misconduct in the military.
“This is a critical time for one of Canada’s key institutions. I am honoured to serve as the external monitor and will fulfil these duties openly and accountably,” Therrien said in a media statement.
Therrien formerly worked with the Auditor General of Canada’s office, where she led audits of programs run by the federal government. She also has experience with investigating allegations of workplace harassment in the RCMP.
Therrien’s governor in council appointment is for an initial term of one year. During that time, she’s expected to make regular reports on DND’s efforts to change the way the military approaches sexual misconduct.
The military has been reeling in response to a series of sexual misconduct investigations. Since early February 2021, 13 current and former senior Canadian military leaders have been sidelined, investigated or forced into retirement from some of the most powerful and prestigious posts in the defence establishment.
Some senior military leaders are facing allegations of sexual misconduct and are under military police investigation. Two people have been charged criminally in connection to the claims. Others have been placed on leave over their own handling of sexual misconduct files.
The external review
Arbour kicked off an external review of sexual harassment and misconduct in the Canadian military in April 2021, and delivered her report to the federal government earlier this year.
Among its 48 recommendations is a call for the appointment of an external monitor to oversee the implementation of the other recommendations.
“This appointment delivers on recommendation 48 of the report and will help ensure that meaningful culture change within the DND/CAF continues to occur,” Anand said in a media statement.
Military sexual trauma complainants have been demanding for decades that civilians take over sexual misconduct cases. They argue that the Canadian Armed Forces has failed to properly support victims and to thoroughly investigate and prosecute cases.
In one of her first acts in the ministry, Defence Minister Anand — acting on an interim recommendation from Arbour last year — moved to temporarily hand over in-progress investigations of sexual misconduct claims to civilian police forces. Complainants retained the right to have their cases handled by the military system.
The military was granted jurisdiction over its own sexual assault cases in 1988.