The Quebec Police Ethics Committee has ordered a review of the conduct of three provincial police officers who posed as protesters at the summit of the three North American leaders in Montebello, Que., in August 2007.

The ruling comes after the police ethics commissioner rejected a complaint in May 2009 filed by a union leader whose members took part in demonstrations at the summit.

Complainant Dave Coles, president of the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, subsequently asked the committee to review the commissioner's decision.

In a ruling released this week, the committee set aside the commissioner's rejection of Coles' allegations that the officers violated sections of the police ethics code dealing with:

• Disrespect or impoliteness towards any person.
• Use of obscene, blasphemous or abusive language.
• Failure to respect the authority of the law by inciting persons to violence.
• Refusal to produce identification when asked to do so.

The committee found the commissioner was wrong to reject six of the eight allegations made by Coles.

Infiltration by police officers to arrest criminal offenders is acceptable, but all acts committed by the officers towards that end are not necessarily legitimate, the committee said.

The committee said the complaint raises important questions about whether a police officer can renege on his ethical obligations just because he has been asked by his superiors to pose as a demonstrator or pass himself off as a fraud or a drug dealer.

"These questions and their answers must be publicly and openly debated before the committee so that when infiltration techniques similar to those used in the instant case are used, police officers abide by the provisions of the code," it said.

The ruling ordered the commissioner to summon the three police sergeants to appear before the committee within 15 days. It also ordered the commissioner to pursue his investigation in relation to the theft of a flag belonging to the union.