In my view, as a matter of accountability and in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, the more information that is required to be presented beforehand in terms of the nature of the investigation and the types of illegal conduct contemplated, the better, because then the limits to which the state is anticipating violating the rights of others or perhaps engaging in victimless crimes--as seems to be the case in some of these investigations--are clear.
Then when something arises in the course of that investigation a day or 10 days later, depending upon the nature of the undercover operation, the individual comes forward, reports to a superior officer, and then reports to the court that circumstances existed and the offence had to be committed. Reasons are then given. That system would foster accountability and would foster appropriate scrutiny of police conduct. Parliament could then be certain that these exceptional powers could be reviewed and would be resorted to appropriately.
If somewhere down the road they needed to be changed--greater exceptions or, to prevent abuses, greater supervision--Parliament would have adequate information in order to make that decision.