The Public Disclosure Committee advises police on whether to release identifying information about dangerous offenders who are returning to the community after serving all or part of their sentence. The Committee is made up of people from a wide range of occupations, and from communities across Saskatchewan.
Police bring applications to the Committee regarding persons who have been convicted of certain offences, and who they believe pose a risk of serious harm to residents of a community. The offences include:
- sexual offences against children;
- sexual assaults;
- other sexual offences, such as bestiality and indecent acts;
- procuring children into prostitution;
- trafficking drugs; and
- serious personal injury offences, such as robbery, aggravated assault and kidnapping.
The Committee can only recommend disclosure of identifying information if:
- it determines that the individual poses a significant risk of serious harm to other people;
- disclosure will help avoid the risk; and
- the public interest in disclosure outweighs the privacy interests of the individual.
The recommendation made by the Committee is not binding on the police service making the request for disclosure. However, police who follow the advice given by the Committee are accorded immunity from legal action by acting in good faith.
When police make an application to the Committee the individual is advised that it has been made. The individual has the opportunity to make submissions to the Committee in writing, or by audio or video recording.