Changes to McGill's Safe Disclosure Process
Effective November 30, 2024, amendments to Quebec鈥檚 Whistleblowing legislation, namely the Act to Facilitate the Disclosure of Wrongdoing Relating to Public Bodies (the 鈥淎ct鈥�), have introduced significant changes to McGill鈥檚 existing safe disclosure process. Public bodies no longer handle internally any disclosures of wrongdoing made under the Act. As a result, McGill's Policy on the Disclosure of Wrongdoing is now suspended, pending its formal repeal by the appropriate approving bodies.听Members of the University community who want to make a disclosure may now submit directly to the .听
Please note that this change does not impact on other policies and reporting mechanisms that exist at McGill for reporting other types of wrongdoing, such as student or research misconduct, discrimination, workplace violence or harassment, or sexual violence. These policies and reporting mechanisms remain unchanged and in full force and effect.
Designation of an Ethics and Integrity Officer
The role of the Designated Officer, previously responsible for handling disclosures within public bodies, has been abolished under the amended Act. In its place, the Act establishes the role of Ethics and Integrity Officer. At McGill University, the Secretary-General, disclosureofwrongdoing [at] mcgill.ca (Edyta Rogowska), who served as Designated Officer until November 29, 2024, now assumes the role and responsibilities of Ethics and Integrity Officer as of November 30, 2024. The Ethics and Integrity Officer is tasked with:听
- coordinating and implementing measures to prevent wrongdoings, and reprisals or threats of reprisals;
- informing the members of the University community听about the possibility of making a disclosure and the protection against reprisals provided for in the Act; and
- liaising听with the Public Protector when an audit or an investigation is conducted for the purposes of this Act and the Act respecting protection against reprisals related to the disclosure of wrongdoings.
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