Former senator to be interim head of RCMP watchdog

The Liberal government has named well-known legal ethicist and former senator Brent Cotter to be the interim head of the RCMP watchdog.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says Cotter will become chairperson of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for a term of six months effective Wednesday.

Cotter, a former dean of the University of Saskatchewan’s law school, was a senator from 2020 to 2024, when he reached the upper chamber’s mandatory retirement age.

Roxanne Gagné has been appointed vice-chairperson of the commission for a term of five years, effective April 20.

Gagné has served as director of Manitoba’s Independent Investigations Unit, a civilian oversight agency that probes incidents involving police and members of the public.

Public Safety Canada says the appointments will help oversee the transition of the RCMP watchdog into the Public Complaints and Review Commission, a new body that will handle complaints and conduct reviews related to both the Mounties and the Canada Border Services Agency.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.