Sask. Justice Minister Don Morgan (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

By CJME News

Clare’s Law to take effect without RCMP participation: Province

Jun 22, 2020 | 3:12 PM

Clare’s Law is set to come into force in Saskatchewan, but one police service has indicated it won’t participate in the protocol.

On Monday, the provincial government issued a media release about the Interpersonal Violence Disclosure Protocol Act — also known as Clare’s Law — that is to take effect June 29.

Under Clare’s Law, individuals can go to their local municipal police station and ask for information about their intimate partner’s past violent or abusive behaviour.

The government noted all municipal police services in the province are to participate in the protocol, but the RCMP recently said it would not be taking part.

The province said it was “attempting to reach federal ministers to ask them to review this decision.”

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In a letter attached to the media release, Saskatchewan Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan asked Bill Blair — the federal minister of public safety and emergency preparedness — to revisit the RCMP’s decision.

“We trust that you share our commitment to the protection of victims of interpersonal violence and that you will ask that this issue be immediately addressed,” wrote Morgan, who called the news “beyond disappointing.”

“Whether that requires adjustments to the Saskatchewan Protocol (none of which have been identified in the year and a half that the RCMP has participated with the ministry in the development of this program) or whether an adjustment at the federal level is required, this problem needs to be resolved.”

Morgan said the provincial government hadn’t been told why the RCMP made its decision other than what he called “reference to an undisclosed legal opinion.”

Under the new protocol, information can be provided to people who believe they may be at risk from intimate partners (“right to ask”) or people who have been identified by police to be at risk (“right to know”).

The provincial government consulted Saskatchewan’s municipal police forces and the Provincial Association of Transition Houses to set up the necessary training for officers to handle applications under Clare’s Law.

More to come.