CSIS Mandate: Expand Scope to Allow Intel Gathering Abroad, Says Intelligence Expert
A court decision that nixed an effort by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to expand its scope in collecting foreign intelligence raises the question of whether the service’s mandate should be changed to meet the needs of an evolving landscape, says a former CSIS analyst and expert on terrorism.
CSIS’s request to be able to gather intelligence in other countries was struck down by Federal Court Justice Patrick Gleeson on the grounds of Section 16 of the CSIS Act, which states that the spy service can only collect information regarding the “capabilities, intentions, or activities” of a foreign state within Canada.
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Judge denies CSIS request to collect foreign intelligence
by The Canadian Press
Last Updated Feb 3, 2021 at 4:14 pm EDT
OTTAWA A court has put the brakes on a Canadian Security Intelligence Service request to collect foreign information, ruling a proposed technique would stray beyond the spy service’s legal mandate.
The service was seeking court warrants so it could gather intelligence in other countries, from a location inside Canada, to help an unnamed federal minister.
The spy service is allowed to collect information about threats to national security anywhere in the world, but there are limitations on gathering intelligence unrelated to security outside Canada.