Ombudsperson to address parliamentary committee examining Bill 46: An Act Respecting Independent Police Investigations

QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 24, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Ombudsperson Raymonde Saint-Germain will submit a brief to the Committee on Institutions, on Monday, February 27, 2012, at 2:15 p.m., as part of the consultations and public hearings phase for Bill 46, An Act Respecting Independent Police Investigations.

This hearing can be followed live on the National Assembly website (http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/index.html), and the brief will be posted to the Office of the Ombudsman website (http://www.protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca/en/home/index.html?no_cache=1) as soon as Ms. Saint-Germain's hearing begins. Upon exiting her hearing, she will be able to take questions from journalists.

Journalists wishing to attend the hearing but who are not members of the press gallery must be accredited before arriving at the National Assembly. Accreditation can be secured by contacting the Parliamentary Correspondents' Service, at 418 643-1357 or at [email protected].

In February 2010, the Québec Ombudsman tabled a special report in the National Assembly regarding investigative procedure used in Québec for incidents involving police officers. This special report concluded that significant changes need to be made to the investigative procedure utilized in Québec in this type of situation. The Ombudsperson asserted that "the status quo is neither acceptable nor in the interest of citizens, police officers, or sound governance".

The Québec Ombudsman
Joanne Trudel, Director of Communications
418 644-0510   [email protected]
Ombudsperson interview requests:
Carole-Anne Huot, communications advisor
418 646-7143;  [email protected]