QUESTION PERIOD — Justice
Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission
June 9, 2026
Senator Moreau, I rise today requesting an update on the Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission. I receive letters from incarcerated individuals across the country, and recently one of the letters asked about that commission and when it would begin its important work.
Recent reporting from the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, or APTN, quoted our colleague Senator Pate, calling the wait for justice in this country extraordinary. We passed the bill creating this commission in December 2024. The most recent government update I could find was in March 2025 — over a year ago.
A CBC article from February of this year quoted a government official who said that efforts were ongoing to appoint a suitable chief commissioner.
Is this still the case? The government has promised to move quickly, but Canadians have been waiting a year and a half. What is the government doing right now to get this commission off the ground so that it can be doing its important work?
In a direct answer to your question, yes, it is still ongoing. I don’t have an update today regarding specific appointments, but I understand the work to establish the commission remains ongoing, and the government remains committed to making the commission operational as soon as possible so that potentially wrongful convictions can be reviewed through this new, independent process.
The government agrees that individuals who may have been wrongfully convicted deserve a review process that is fair, accessible and independent.
