Supreme Court upholds limits on spy watchdog members’ parliamentary privilege

Canada’s Supreme Court has upheld a law that restricts how members of Parliament and senators on the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, or NSICOP, can disclose information. In an 81 decision released Friday, the court ruled that the legislation creates a narrow limit on parliamentary privilege and does not require a constitutional amendment. NSICOP members have access to highly classified material and can face prison terms if they improperly disclose protected information. The ruling settles a constitutional challenge brought by Lakehead University law professor Ryan Alford, who argued that Parliament could not limit parliamentary privilege in this way. Lower courts had disagreed before the Supreme Court’s final decision in Ottawa.