Target Approval and Review Committee
Encyclopedia
A branch of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS), the Target Approval and Review Committee (TARC) grants or denies the ability to put a suspect or group under surveillance and open a clandestine investigation. It is chaired by the Director of CSIS
(currently Richard Fadden
), senior CSIS officers and representatives from the Department of Justice
and Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
In March 1991, TARC amended their previous regulations, and included a requirement that the Solicitor General must be consulted before allowing any investigation.
"The range of investigative techniques to be deployed under this authorization will be subject to consultation with the Minister."
From this point on, the Service was required to send an aide-mémoire
to the Solicitor General - prior to implementing the TARC Certificate.
.http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/en/newsroom/speeches/speech21022005.asp
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(CSIS), the Target Approval and Review Committee (TARC) grants or denies the ability to put a suspect or group under surveillance and open a clandestine investigation. It is chaired by the Director of CSIS
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(currently Richard Fadden
Richard Fadden
Richard B. Fadden is the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service , a position he has held since June 2009. He was previously the Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada from 2006 to 2009....
), senior CSIS officers and representatives from the Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Canada)
The purpose of the Department of Justice is to ensure that the Canadian justice system is fair, accessible and efficient. The Department also represents the Canadian government in legal matters...
and Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
In March 1991, TARC amended their previous regulations, and included a requirement that the Solicitor General must be consulted before allowing any investigation.
"The range of investigative techniques to be deployed under this authorization will be subject to consultation with the Minister."
From this point on, the Service was required to send an aide-mémoire
Aide-mémoire
In international relations, an aide-mémoire is a proposed agreement or negotiating text circulated informally among delegations for discussion without committing the originating delegation's country to the contents. It has no identified source, title, or attribution and no standing in the...
to the Solicitor General - prior to implementing the TARC Certificate.
Levels of investigation
There are three levels of possible allowance.- Level 1
-
- The first level allows agents to begin a short-term investigation consisting of collecting public records, and applying to foreign police, security and intelligence organizations for further information on a subject.
- Level 2
- The second level allows agents the right to conduct personal interviews with individuals acquainted with the subject or group, and to physically follow the subject's movements.
- Level 3
- The third level allows agents "intrusive" measures.
- The first level allows agents to begin a short-term investigation consisting of collecting public records, and applying to foreign police, security and intelligence organizations for further information on a subject.
Notable instances
- On October 17, 1989, a CSIS agent on the South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n desk submit a request for TARC Level 1 to investigate claims that South Africa had transferred $250,000 to Canadians in an attempt to sway Members of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. The form made mention specifically of Reform PartyReform Party of CanadaThe Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
leader Preston ManningPreston ManningErnest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance... - During the 1990s, it is alleged that Reform Party member, and noted right-wing activist Wolfgang Droge, was the subject of a TARC Level 2.
Similar arms of CSIS
The Warrant Review Committee is made up of the same members as TARC, but includes the addition of an independent counsel - and is designed to defend warrant applications before the Federal Court of CanadaFederal Court of Canada
The Federal Court of Canada was a national court of Canada that heard some types of disputes arising under the central government's legislative jurisdiction...
.http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/en/newsroom/speeches/speech21022005.asp