Canadians expect police officers to respect the law of the land – our land.

That was the understanding on which Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama negotiated a series of cross-border initiatives known as the perimeter security pact two years ago. “These agreements represent the most significant step forward in Canada-U.S. co-operation since the North American Free Trade Agreement,” Harper said at the time, pledging that neither country’s sovereignty would be diminished.

But now the U.S. is proposing an unpalatable change. It wants American police officers taking part in joint law enforcement operations in this country to be exempt from Canadian law. Not only would this violate the principle that the laws of the host country are paramount; it would strip Canadians of their right to hold police officers serving in this country accountable for their actions.

The RCMP has made it clear to its American counterparts that this is not acceptable. But the last word on this matter belongs to the prime minister. Neither Harper nor his new public safety minister, Steven Blaney has said anything on the issue. An aide to the minister said it would be “inappropriate” to discuss bilateral negotiations on the policing initiative.

This issue came to light only because the Canadian Press used an Access to Information request to obtain a briefing note prepared for RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson last year. The memo says, in part: “Canadians would likely have serious concerns with cross-designated officers from the U.S. not being accountable for their actions in Canada.”

Indeed they would. Citizens of this country place a high value on their sovereignty. Although the Canadian and U.S. justice systems are similar regarding the use of force by police, it is the right of each nation to have jurisdiction over unlawful acts committed on its territory.

The difference of opinion between the two governments has delayed the proposed pilot project, which was supposed to begin last year. That is a good sign; it means Ottawa is at least prepared to say no on an interim basis. But what Canadians really need is a categorical assurance from the prime minister or one of his senior ministers that the joint patrol initiative will not go ahead unless the U.S. agrees that Canadian law prevails on Canadian soil.

The RCMP memo suggests it might be good enough to come up with a reciprocal arrangement under which police officers from each country would operate under their own law and be judged within their own court system, regardless whose territory they were on. That would be an improvement over a one-sided exemption, but it would still constitute an unwelcome departure from the original intent of the deal.

The best course of action would be to wait until the two governments get it right. If that means pulling the plug on what appeared to be a useful pilot project, so be it. Some prices are not worth paying.

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