We are extremely disappointed to have been informally advised this week that the RCMP in Saskatchewan has now indicated its refusal to participate in an important new interpersonal violence protection program.
As you know, Clare's Law is legislation passed in the province of Saskatchewan to protect primarily women from interpersonal violence by authorizing the disclosure of limited risk information to individuals regarding their intimate partners.
This legislation was introduced in the Fall of 2018 and unanimously passed in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the Spring of 2019.
The RCMP representatives in Saskatchewan, both directly and through the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, have been involved in the development of the Act, the Regulations and the Protocol on an ongoing basis from the outset.
This includes monthly meetings since June of 2019 regarding the specific development of the protocol. This legislation is scheduled to come into force on June 29, 2020.
To now be advised that the RCMP, in its capacity as the Saskatchewan Provincial Police Service, is refusing to comply with this process is beyond disappointing.
We have not been advised why the RCMP has taken this position other than reference to an undisclosed legal opinion. We have offered from the outset to meet with any legal counsel the RCMP may be using to explain how this process works and why it is in full compliance with any applicable legal requirements, including privacy legislation.
We remain open to establishing a dialogue with respect to this matter and urge you to ensure that this decision of the RCMP is revisited. It is unclear why the RCMP is refusing to protect potential victims of interpersonal violence through Clare's Law. Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador are among the other provinces that have introduced similar legislation and we cannot accept that the RCMP cannot find a positive solution to their concerns, whatever they may be.
We trust that you share our commitment to the protection of victims of interpersonal violence and that you will ask that this issue be immediately addressed.
Whether that requires adjustments to the Saskatchewan Protocol (none of which have been identified in the year and a half that the RCMP has participated with the ministry in the development of this program), or whether an adjustment at the federal level is required, this problem needs to be resolved.
In Saskatchewan, we have taken this step to recognize both an individual's right to ask for information regarding an intimate partner they feel may put them at risk as well as their right to know that information once the police have it.
We think these potential victims have a right to know why the federal government now seems to think otherwise.
