Thank you, Chair and members of the committee, for the opportunity to speak with you today about Bill C-22, an act respecting lawful access, and why policing leaders across Canada strongly support its passage.
Policing in Canada has changed dramatically over the past decade. Crime is no longer confined to physical spaces or geographical borders. Today, organized crime networks appear across jurisdictions using encrypted applications, anonymous accounts and digital platforms to coordinate activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, firearms smuggling and cybercrime, yet the laws that govern how police access critical information were largely designed before the digital reality existed.
Bill C-22 is about closing that gap. It proposes practical, measured updates that would allow investigators to access certain information more efficiently, always with lawful authority, judicial oversight and a full respect for the charter and the privacy protections Canadians expect.
This is not about expanding unchecked powers. It is about ensuring that when police have lawful grounds to act—