Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard is forming a committee of experts to look into the surveillance of journalists in the wake of revelations police kept tabs on a Montreal reporter's iPhone.
The group will include a judge, a police official and a member of the media.
It is expected to present its report to the Quebec justice minister by next spring.
Couillard also announced it will be harder for police to obtain a court-issued warrant to monitor members of the media.
And the premier says the Public Security Department will investigate procedures at the three major police forces in Quebec — the provincial police and the Montreal and Quebec City forces.
The measures come a day after it emerged Montreal police had obtained at least 24 surveillance warrants for the iPhone belonging to La Presse columnist Patrick Lagacé at the request of the special investigations unit that looks into crime within the police force.
Meanwhile, it's been revealed on Tuesday that at least three more journalists were spied upon without warrant by Montreal police: TVA reporter Félix Séguin, Cogeco radio justice reporter Monic Neron and freelance investigative journalist Fabrice de Pierrebourg.
Meanwhile, Montreal's police chief Philippe Pichet said Tuesday he has no intention of stepping down, amid calls for his resignation from the opposition at Montreal City Hall, the CAQ in Quebec City and Montreal's police union.
He made that statement while coming out of a meeting with the city of Montreal's public security commission on Tuesday.
Richard Deschamps from CJAD 800 also contributed to this report.