Summary
"Military Police (MP) typically encounter two legal issues while attempting to conduct their law enforcement function within military jurisdictions. First, MP cannot provide competent law enforcement in accordance with provincial statute law because MP are not completely recognized as peace officers under the Criminal Code, and provincial statutes often refer to the Criminal Code definition of peace officer for law enforcement purposes. Second, MP are not adequately defined and there is much confusion in relation to a clear and concise definition of the MP and their organizational mandate and legal duties. MP possess a dual status as a soldier and a police officer, yet they operate under the command of senior non-policing military commanders and therefore have no independence while conducting the law enforcement or criminal investigative function. Further, the civilian collective considers that MP are expected to operate and conform with civilian police protocol in relation to the expectancies of civilian oversight, office of the crown attorney, public interest inquiries and the prospects of the criminal justice system, yet the current organizational design maintains organizational control based on the "soldier first" philosophy and the fact that MP are a trade within the CF."--Page 1.