Cultural Reforms In The Canadian Military, Notable Achievements, Fundamental Obstacles Remain

However, there are still many obstacles to making these changes lasting, according to the new report. The observations are included in the sixth and final progress report by Jocelyn Therrien, an external monitor overseeing the implementation of former Supreme Court Justice Lobby R. Bohr’s landmark 2022 report. The R. Bohr report made 48 recommendations to address sexual harassment, abuse of power and leadership deficiencies in the military.
Major progress
According to Therrien, most of the 48 recommendations have been “substantially implemented.” Notable reforms include:
Ending strict duty-to-report rules
Probationary periods for new recruits
Free legal advice for victims
Using full documentation of past behavior in promotion decisions
The report says these measures are helping to address the flaws in the military structure that led to decades of sexual abuse being ignored.
Remaining challenges
The final report says that although reforms are underway, some fundamental problems still exist:
1. Ineffective policy-making process
According to Therrien, the policy-making process in the CAF is “extremely long and confusing”, with military officers themselves writing the policy, while they should only provide advice. This has resulted in policy documents being “unnecessarily long” and complex,
 creating inconsistencies between purpose and outcome.
2. Unclear definition of ‘minor’ violation
The report says it should be clear what constitutes “minor” conduct, as acts that were previously considered minor, such as touching a woman’s body or patting her on the butt, now clearly fall under the category of **sexual assault**. Furthermore, abuse by anyone in a leadership position should be considered a “serious offence”.
Additional recommendations
The report adds that military leadership must adopt a centralised and rapid enforcement system. Detailed data on sexual abuse cases should be collected to understand the true extent of the problem. • The military should adopt the principle that the definition of ‘sexual assault’ should include any non-consensual sexual contact.
Old and new challenges
The report acknowledges that some reforms have also led to new problems, such as pressure on the training system after the increase in recruitment, lack of full harmonisation of instructions and training guides despite the abolition of the duty to report law
Reforms in military colleges
Changes in the environment and training of military colleges are also underway, for which the recommendations of independent review reports are being implemented.
Mistrust and tendency to not report
The report emphasizes that mistrust still exists in the military regarding sexual abuse, according to the 2022 statistical survey, 64% of victims did not report the incident. According to the 2023 survey, only 29% of women and 48% of men believe that action is actually taken against the accused.
Appeal to victims
Therrien urged victims to contact the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre, even though some have called for it to be made a fully independent body. According to him, the centre’s presence within the Ministry of Defence structure is beneficial because: Problems reach military leadership. It identifies flaws in the system, not just the individual.
Government response
Defence Minister David Magnitude responded to the report by saying that “cultural change in the military system is a difficult and ongoing process.” The government is close to completing all of the Arbour report’s recommendations by the end of 2025. It has also reintroduced legislation to fully hand over the investigation and prosecution of military sexual offences to civilian authorities, which was previously suspended due to the dissolution of Parliament.