Democratic Oversight of Security and Intelligence Services in Canada

Pojem demokratičnega nadzora v najširšem pomenu besede zajema različne pojavne oblike nadzora, ki se razlikujejo glede na način izvedbe, vsebino nadzora, čas, v katerem se izvaja, in ne nazadnje izvajalca nadzora. Z izvajanjem nadzora nadzorni organi ugotavljajo spoštovanje sistemske ureditve izvajane dejavnosti in drugih kontrolnih elementov. Najpogostejše dileme, s katerimi se pristojni nadzornih organov srečujejo v praksi, se navezujejo na vprašanja, povezana s spoštovanjem zakonitosti in legitimnosti obveščevalno-varnostne dejavnosti, vprašanja o ustreznosti zakonskih podlag, spoštovanje človekovih pravic in svoboščin ter spoštovanje ostalih z ustavo varovanih pravic posameznikov. Tehnološki napredek je mnoge države izpostavil novim sodobnim grožnjam v kibernetskem prostoru. Zaradi naraščajoče uporabe informacijsko-komunikacijskih tehnologij za doseganje političnih, gospodarskih, vojaških in drugih ciljev so se bile moderne demokracije primorane soočiti z novimi izzivi, povezanimi z obvladovanjem asimetričnih groženj in na drugi strani z varovanjem vrednot demokratične družbe. Kanada ni bila izjema. Deležniki nacionalnovarnostnega sistema v Kanadi so se vse od leta 1984 pa do danes neprestano razvijali in rastli, medtem ko je sistem nadzora ostal na nivoju osemdesetih let prejšnjega stoletja. Vse do leta 2019 so bili predmet stalnega nadzora zgolj Kanadska varnostno-obveščevalna služba (Canadian Security Intelligence Service, CSIS), Agencija za varnost elektronskih komunikacij (Communication Security Establishment, CSE) in Kraljeva kanadska konjeniška policija (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP). Da bi se učinkovito zoperstavila modernim grožnjam ter težnjam k izboljšanju sistema nadzora nad delom obveščevalno-varnostnih služb in ostalih deležnikov nacionalnovarnostnega sistema, je Kanada v letu 2019 sprejela zakonodajno reformo (Bill C-59), ki predstavlja novo pravno, institucionalno in metodološko podlago za delovanje deležnikov nacionalnovarnostnega sistema in izvajanje demokratičnega nadzora obveščevalno-varnostnih služb. S sprejetjem zakonodajnih sprememb je Kanada sledila demokratičnim normam mednarodne obveščevalne skupnosti in zavezništvu petih držav (Five Eyes Intelligence Community): Avstraliji, Novi Zelandiji, Združenemu kraljestvu in Združenim državam Amerikete so obsežnejše sistemske rešitve in dobre prakse na področju nadzora nad delom obveščevalnih in varnostnih služb v svoj sistem vpeljale že pred časom.The term of democratic oversight in its broadest meaning includes different manifestations of control mechanisms which differ according to the manner of implementation, control content, time in which it is implemented and also the entity performing such control. With the implementation of oversight mechanisms, the oversight agencies are establishing observance of regulatory framework of the implemented activity and other control elements. The most frequent dilemmas the competent authorities are encountering in practice, pertain to questions, related to observance of legality and legitimacy of intelligence and security services, questions on the adequacy of legal bases, respect for human rights and freedoms and respect for other constitutionally protected rights of individuals. Technological progress exposed many countries to new, modern threats which are part of cyberspace. Due to an increasing trend of use of information and communication technologies to achieve political, economic, military and other objectives, modern democracies are forced to face new challenges, related to control of asymmetrical threats on one hand and protection of democratic society values on the other. Canada is no exception in this respect. Since 1984, Canadian national security system bodies have been developing and growing, while the intelligence oversight system remained on the 1980s level. Until 2019, only Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Communication Security Establishment (CSE) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were subjected to constant oversight. In the desire to effectively stand up to the modern threats, and aspirations to improve the oversight system over the work of the intelligence and security services and other national security system bodies, in 2019, Canada adopted a legislative reform (Bill C-59), which represents a new legal, institutional and methodological basis for the operation of the bodies of national security system bodies and implementation of the democratic controls over said intelligence and security services. With the adoption of changes to the legislation, Canada followed the democratic norms of the international intelligence community, and alliance of five countries (Five Eyes Intelligence Community) - Australia, New Zealand, United kingdom and United States of America, which integrated the broadest systemic solutions and good practices in the area of democratic controls over the work of security intelligence services some time ago