Jurisdiction of the CPC

The CPC has jurisdiction over a complaint from a member of the public that concerns the conduct of an RCMP member while performing a policing duty or function. These duties and functions include criminal investigations, public complaint investigations, policing public events, security assignments and intelligence operations.

A complaint must also involve:

• an RCMP member or other person appointed or employed under the authority of the RCMP Act;
• an RCMP member or other person who, when the complaint is made, is not deceased, retired, nor resigned or been dismissed from the Force; and
• conduct that occurred after September 30, 1988, the date the CPC became authorized to take complaints.

The CPC seeks to resolve questions about its jurisdiction to deal with a public complaint as early as possible in the complaint process. Where a complaint falls outside the CPC's jurisdiction, the CPC notifies the complainant. As complaints are also made directly to the RCMP, the CPC makes continuous efforts to communicate to the RCMP both the scope as well as the boundaries of our jurisdiction. Ideally this results in complainants receiving timely information should their complaint fall outside the jurisdiction of the CPC.