The Canadian Military Prosecutions Service (CMPS) has created a new e-mail address, monitored daily, to provide victims of sexual misconduct with an online option to seek information from military prosecutors about the status of their case and the court martial process, or to get answers on questions they may have about their file. This pilot project, launched recently by the Director of Military Prosecutions (DMP), provides victims of sexual misconduct with yet another avenue to obtain timely and reliable information about their case.

This initiative is one of several being introduced by DMP to ensure that victims remain informed and supported throughout the court martial process. It follows recent amendments to a number of DMP policy directives requiring military prosecutors to consider the views of the victim in a variety of circumstances, and the creation of the Sexual Misconduct Action Response Team (SMART) to develop specialized expertise and best practices to deal expeditiously and efficiently with the most complex cases of sexual misconduct within the military justice system.

The CMPS is committed to supporting victims, particularly of sexual misconduct, throughout all stages of the court martial process. Victims of sexual misconduct whose case has been referred to the DMP can now ask questions or access information about the court martial process by contacting the CMPS here:

[email protected].

Information available to victims includes, and is not limited to:

• The decision of the prosecutor on whether to prefer a charge against the accused;
• Any release conditions placed on the accused prior to trial or any amendments thereto;
• Information regarding the court martial process;
• Publication bans or other available methods to protect victims’ identities;
• Information regarding testifying at court martial;
• Any decision by the prosecutor to enter into plea negotiations with defence counsel;
• Any decision by the prosecutor to withdraw charges against the accused; and
• The ability of the victim to provide a victim impact statement at court martial.

The CMPS aims to respond to queries within 48 hours. For further information, visit the Information for victims web page.