Accountability in and for national security

In the nineteenth century, Canada’s consti- Ironically, some well-informed experts have been tutional democratization process was driven by the arguing that in practice accountability has actually been struggle for responsible government, which meant deteriorating in the face of the growing power of the requiring the executive to maintain the confidence of Prime Minister and cabinet, despite the p [...] From the point of view of an operational responsible for the “management and control of the agency, accountability in the form of oversight service under the direction of the Minister” may have over ongoing business is different from ex post originally been intended to enhance the accountability facto review or audit. [...] Yet even the latter may have of the civil service to the minister, they may in the long operational consequences if officials alter their run have made the minister less answerable to behaviour in expectation of the later findings of Parliament for aspects of the service’s functions. [...] There is also the issue of the role of Parliament, qua A central ambiguity in the institutionalization of Parliament, in relation to ensuring the responsibility of accountability lies in its constitutional role in ministers and the accountability of the government in Westminster governmental systems, particularly with and to Parliament. [...] Following House of Commons and a similar Order of the Senate the recommendations of the McDonald Commission expressly provide the two houses, and their commit- (Commission of Inquiry concerning Certain Activities tees through delegation, with the capacity to call for of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in 1981, the such “persons, papers and records” as they choose, government accepted that this