Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the Commission expects to hold three sets of public hearings.  The hearings will take place at 395 Wellington Street, in Ottawa, in Salon A.

The preliminary hearings took place from January 29 – February 2, 2024. The second set of public hearings were held in March and April, 2024. Information from these hearings, including transcripts and documents introduced into evidence, is available on the Public Hearings and Documents pages.

A third set of public hearings will be scheduled in September and October. Dates for these hearings will be posted to the Commission’s website when they are confirmed.
 

Information about the dates and times of the coming hearings will be added to the website later and will be shared through the Commission’s social media accounts.

Members of the public are welcome at the hearings. Those wishing to attend will be required to go through a courthouse-style security screening at the building entrance. Members of the public will be admitted to the hearings on a first-come-first served basis. 

The hearings are streamed live on the Commission’s website to allow Canadians to follow the work of the Commission.  

At the end of each hearing day, a recording of the day’s hearing will be archived on the Commission’s website.  Archived hearings can be viewed at any time from the Commission’s Public Hearings page.
 

The preliminary hearings were mandated by Clause (a)(i) D of the Commission’s Terms of Reference.  They took place over five days starting on January 29, 2024.  They focused on National Security Confidentiality (NSC). The purpose of the NSC hearings was to identify the best ways to address the challenge of making as much of the information received by the Commission as possible public in its hearings and reports, when much of that information will originate from classified documents and sources.

The Commission heard from both fact witnesses and recognized experts at the NSC Hearings.

These hearings served to prepare the next set of public hearings in March, when the Commission examined the substantive issues arising from Stage 1 of its work.

As required by Clause (a)(i) D of the Commission’s Terms of Reference, the Commission held public hearings from January 29 to February 2, 2024 to identify the challenges, limitations and potential adverse impacts associated with the disclosure of classified national security information and intelligence to the public, for the purpose of fostering transparency and enhancing public awareness and understanding (the “National Security Confidentiality” hearings).

The Factual phase is divided in two parts.

The first part of the Commission’s factual phase corresponded to paragraphs (a)(i)(A) and (a)(i)(B) of the Commission’s Terms of Reference. 

During the first part of the factual phase of the Commission’s work, the Commission examined and assessed the interference by China, Russia and other foreign states or non-state actors, including any potential impacts, on the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. 

The Commission also examined and assessed the flow of information to senior decision-makers, including elected officials, and between the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force and the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol panel during the election periods that led up to the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, and actions taken in response.

The Commission held public hearings on these matters in March and April 2024. Following the end of those hearings, the Commission released an Initial Report on the matters investigated in the first part of the Commission’s factual phase on May 3, 2024.

The second part of the Commission’s factual phase corresponds to paragraphs (a)(i)(C) of the Commission’s Terms of Reference.

In this second part of the Factual phase, the Commission will examine and assess the capacity of relevant federal departments, agencies, institutional structures and governance processes to permit the Government of Canada to detect, deter and counter any form of foreign interference directly or indirectly targeting Canada’s democratic processes. This work will include a further examination of certain facts and events addressed in the Stage 1 hearings.

The second part of the Commission’s Factual phase will include public hearings in September and October 2024. Dates for these hearings will be posted to the Commission’s website when they are confirmed.
 

The Policy Phase of the Commission’s work corresponds to paragraph (a)(i)(E) of the Commission’s Terms of Reference. In the Policy Phase, the Commission will consider means for better protecting federal democratic processes from foreign interference, with a view to making recommendations.

The Policy Phase will include public hearings, likely in the fall of 2024, at which the Commission will hear from various experts.  Dates for these hearings will be announced at a later date. 

The Parties are individuals and groups with the most direct and substantial interest in the subject matter of the Inquiry and/or who can only make a necessary contribution to the work of the Commission through the exercise of full participatory rights. 

Parties have full participation rights, including the right to access certain non-public documents and to question certain witnesses at the Commission’s public hearings.

The following Participants have Party Standing in the Factual phase of the Inquiry:

1. The Government of Canada

2. The Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections

3. Han Dong

4. Michael Chan

5. The “Human Rights Coalition”

6. Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance

7. Ukrainian Canadian Congress

8. Michael Chong

9. Jenny Kwan

10. Sikh Coalition 

Two applicants for standing were granted Party Standing in relation to the (a)(i)(D) hearings only:

1. The “Media Coalition” (Limited to (a)(i)(D) hearings, January 29 to February 2, 2024)

2. The Centre for Free Expression (Limited to (a)(i)(D) hearings, January 29 to February 2, 2024)

The Interveners are individuals and groups with a more general interest in the subject matter of the Inquiry and/or who can make an important contribution to the work of the Commission without full participatory rights.

Participants who are Interveners have the following rights:

• The right to notice of all public hearings of the Commission, and the right to be present at them as Participants;
• The right to access copies of exhibits entered into evidence during the public hearings;
• The right to make oral or written submissions as the Commissioner may direct in subsequent procedural rulings or notices; and
• With leave of the Commissioner, Interveners may be granted other Participatory rights in appropriate circumstances. 

The following Participants have Intervener Standing in the Factual phase of the Inquiry:

1. Erin O’Toole

2. Yuen Pau Woo

3. The Conservative Party of Canada

4. The New Democratic Party of Canada

5. The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy

6. Democracy Watch

7. Chinese Canadian Concern Group on the Chinese Communist Party’s Human Rights Violations

8. The Pillar Society

9. The Bloc Québécois

10. Iranian Canadian Congress

The following Participants in the Factual Phase of the Inquiry also have standing in the Policy Phase of the Inquiry:

1. The Government of Canada
2. The Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections
3. Erin O’Toole
4. Yuen Pau Woo
5. The Conservative Party of Canada
6. The New Democratic Party of Canada
7. The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy
8. Democracy Watch
9. The “Human Rights Coalition”
10. Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance
11. Ukrainian Canadian Congress
12. . Michael Chong
13. Jenny Kwan
14. Sikh Coalition
15. The Bloc Québécois
16. Chinese Canadian Concern Group on the Chinese Communist Party’s Human Rights Violations
17. The Pillar Society

The following additional Participants have standing in the Policy phase of the Inquiry only:

1. Iranian Justice Collective
2. Justice For All Canada
3. The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
4. The Centre for International Governance Innovation
5. The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

For general information on the roles of Participants at the Inquiry please see the First Commissioner’s Decision on Standing (especially paragraphs 21-34) and the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure. 

For information about the additional rights granted to the Conservative Party of Canada, Canada’s New Democratic Party, the Bloc Québécois, and Erin O’Toole, please see the Commissioner’s Decision on Intervener Participation in Stage 1 Hearings.