Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press Published Monday, May 30, 2022 1:28 PM EDT Last Updated on Monday, May 30, 2022 1:28 PM EDT
OTTAWA – In a scathing indictment of resistance to change by the Canadian Armed Forces, retired Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbor says it is time for the military to abandon traditions and structures that perpetuate a sexualized culture.
The call of one of Canada’s most respected jurists follows a one-year review ordered by the Liberal government and leaves the Canadian military at a crossroads after decades of scandals, criticism and broken promises.
“The long-established way of doing business at CAF is rooted in operational imperatives that are often nothing more than assumptions,” Arbor writes in the introduction to his long-awaited report, released Monday.
“One of the dangers of the model under which the CAF continues to operate is the high probability that some of its members are at greater risk of damage, on a day-to-day basis, by their colleagues than by the enemy. That must change. “
To that end, many of the 48 recommendations contained in Arbour’s report seek to revise or end long-standing traditions and ways in which the military does its business. These include recruiting, training and promoting members of the Armed Forces.
Changes are also proposed in the way in which cases of sexual discrimination, harassment and assault are reported, controlled and managed, with the general aim of giving the army more control and involvement to the civilian authorities.
While the military has made many promises to act, Arbor says it has challenged efforts to change its culture and encouraged many of the outdated traditions and structures that continue to hurt women. particular.
“Firmly rooted in its historic way of life, the military has failed to keep pace with the values and expectations of a pluralistic, increasingly sophisticated Canadian society over the rule of law,” he said. report.
“Working as a fully self-governing and self-governing organization, completely dependent on deference to the hierarchy, it has not aligned itself with the progressive and ever-changing society in which we live. This disconnect is a responsibility for the CAF and for Canada. . ”
However, the former UN human rights tsar does not specifically recommend the establishment of an independent oversight body, as requested by many experts and observers, but calls for more involvement and oversight by civilian authorities. .
This includes instructing Defense Minister Anita Anand “as a first step” to report to Parliament on which of Arbour’s recommendations have been implemented – and which have not – by the end of the year.
Arbor also calls for the appointment of an “external monitor” to oversee the implementation of its recommendations, with regular reports to the minister and the public.
“Assuming that my recommendations are implemented, I do not see the need to raise another entity, such as an inspector general or otherwise, to oversee the fundamental change in leadership responsibility required,” he said. report.
“I see an extreme need for external input to truly transform the CAF-rooted island culture. Alerted for years by the prevalence of sexual misconduct, the CAF has demonstrated its unwillingness or inability to change.”
Arbor is just the latest to criticize the Canadian Armed Forces and its leadership in recent months for failing to act on hundreds of previous recommendations from outside sources designed to address issues with its culture.
The military ombudsman, as well as a group of retired members of the Armed Forces, punished the organization last month for failing to act on dozens of previous studies and reviews on racism in the ranks over the past two decades.
Instead, the military has begun to say in recent years that it agrees “in principle” with all recommendations from external sources, but then implements them in half or lets them collect dust. That should end, according to Arbor.
“The CAFs did not want or could not accept the intention and vision that came from external sources, choosing … the aspect of the implementation above its substance, thus consolidating its ways of operating,” he says. your report.
“I think this is a consequence of the insularity in which the CAF has traditionally acted and its determination to perpetuate its old ways of doing business.”