Court decision upholds law limiting parliamentary immunity of intelligence watchdogs

The Ontario Court of Appeal has approved a law that restricts members of the spy watchdog from utilizing their special immunity to speak openly.

A group of politicians from different parties called the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians can see top-secret information.

Normally, MPs and senators can’t be prosecuted for things they say in Parliament.

However, people in the watchdog group, called NSICOP, could get in trouble if they share protected information that is not allowed by the rules of the committee.

This week, a new decision was made that changes a previous decision from the Ontario Superior Court in 2022. The new decision says that Parliament can restrict parliamentary privilege without needing to change the constitution.

A group of three judges in the Court of Appeal has said that Parliament can restrict freedom of speech and debate as long as it follows the rules set out in the committee’s laws, without changing the constitution.