3. Support to the Minister of Justice and the Minister’s Office

A. François Daigle
Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Appointed pursuant to subsection 3(1) of the Department of Justice Act, the Deputy Minister is responsible for the management and direction of the Department.

Under subsection 3(2) of the Department of Justice Act, the Deputy Minister is ex officio the Deputy Attorney General, except in respect of the powers, duties and functions that the Director of Public Prosecutions is authorized to exercise or perform under subsection 3(3) of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act.

The Deputy Minister supports the Minister to achieve the Government’s objectives through four broad roles: Manager of the Department, Chief Policy Advisor, Accounting Officer and Litigation.

Manager of the Department

As the Department’s top public servant, the Deputy Minister has overall responsibility for managing the Department of Justice.

In addition, as a member of the community of deputy ministers, the Deputy Minister of Justice shares responsibility with colleagues in other government departments for contributing to the overall leadership of the public service under the direction of the interim Clerk of the Privy Council.

Chief Policy Advisor

The Deputy Minister acts as principal policy advisor to the Minister on matters within the Minister’s responsibility and authority. He coordinates policy development and ensures the departmental implementation of the Minister’s initiatives and priorities. He also advises on coherent policy development for and management of the Minister’s portfolio.

Accounting Officer

The Financial Administration Act provides that deputy ministers and deputy heads of government entities are designated accounting officers for their organizations. Under the legislation, the responsibilities of accounting officers arise within the framework of ministerial responsibility and accountability to Parliament. Accounting officers are required to appear before the appropriate parliamentary committee to answer questions regarding a specified range of responsibilities and duties relating to departmental management. These responsibilities include managing departmental resources in accordance with government policies and procedures, maintaining effective systems of internal control and signing the departmental accounts.

Litigation

The Deputy Attorney General has important responsibilities in relation to litigation. He oversees and directs all civil and administrative litigation conducted by or on behalf of the Crown, as well as litigation under the Extradition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act.

Following the creation of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the Deputy Attorney General retained a role as advisor to the Attorney General with respect to the exercise of powers reserved to the Attorney General under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act and may be called upon to intervene in proceedings raising questions of public interest or assume the conduct of a prosecution.

In addition, certain decisions in litigation matters involving international relations, national defence and national security are made by the Deputy Attorney General. This includes the delegation of authority to officials within the Department who may authorize disclosure of information under section 38 of the Canada Evidence Act. This provision governs the protection and disclosure of information that is sensitive or potentially injurious to international relations, national defence or national security if released.

Shalene Curtis-Micallef
Associate Deputy Minister

Appointed pursuant to subsection 3(3) of the Department of Justice Act, the Associate Deputy Minister has the rank and status of a deputy head of a department and performs such powers, duties and functions under the Deputy Minister.

While the Deputy Minister of Justice leads the Department and remains accountable for all decisions and actions taken within the Department, all sectors and portfolios report to the Deputy Minister and Associate Deputy Minister. Although they both have specific areas of responsibility, their leadership approach enables either of them to lead as one on any issue at any given time.

Laurie Sargent
Assistant Deputy Minister

The Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio is a team of legal counsel, paralegals, policy analysts, legal assistants, administrative staff and other professionals dedicated to advancing reconciliation through legal, policy, and business excellence. The Portfolio (comprised of the Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office, Aboriginal Law Centre, Reconciliation Secretariat, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada/Indigenous Services Canada Legal Services Unit and Strategic Planning and Business Management Unit) provides expert legal services and legal policy advice on a wide range of Aboriginal law, Indigenous rights and policy issues, and Northern Affairs matters to the whole of government. Led by Assistant Deputy Minister Laurie Sargent, the Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio plays a leadership role in coordinating and integrating Justice Canada’s advice on these issues across portfolios and sectors in the advisory, negotiations, litigation, and policy contexts. The Portfolio also plays a key strategic client partnership role in supporting all policy, operational, and legislative priorities of their two major clients, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada, including managing legal and litigation risks.

Key areas of expertise:

• Reconciliation and the constitutional framework for the Crown-Indigenous relationship, including Aboriginal rights and title and treaty rights protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982;
• Duty to consult and principle of free, prior and informed consent;
• Fiduciary duties owed to Indigenous peoples;
• Self-government and modern treaty negotiations and implementation;
• Indian Act, First Nations Land Management Act, Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families and other federal legislation in relation to Indigenous Peoples;
• Specific claims in relation to past wrongs against First Nations;
• Administration of Justice in Indigenous communities;
• Northern Affairs;
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
• Permanent Bilateral Mechanisms with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation leaders;
• Indigenous Justice Strategy;
• Principles respecting the Government of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples; and
• Supporting Justice Canada engagements with Indigenous communities and organizations.

Andrew Saranchuk
Assistant Deputy Minister

The Business and Regulatory Law Portfolio provides integrated legal advisory services, including litigation and drafting support services, to over 40 client departments, agencies and other federal entities. These services are provided through 12 departmental legal services units, a Centre of Expertise in Procurement Law, the Centre for Business and Technology Law, and the Resource Development Coordination Unit.

The 12 legal services units are co-located with their respective client departments:

The Centre of Expertise in Procurement Law, hosted within the Public Services and Procurement Canada and Shared Services Canada departmental legal services unit, has the exclusive mandate for providing procurement legal advice to all Department of Justice clients, including major procurement files.

Through the Centre for Business and Technology Law, the Assistant Deputy Minister has functional responsibility for the practice of commercial and technology law across the Department of Justice in order to provide strategic direction and ensure consistency of legal positions and practices throughout federal departments and agencies.

Through the Resource Development Coordination Unit, the Assistant Deputy Minister provides advice and litigation support on major resource projects and ensures consistency of legal positions where there are overlapping client departments on resource projects.

Jenifer Aitken
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister

The Central Agencies Portfolio manages legal, policy and operational issues related to the central agency functions of government.

The Portfolio provides legal advice and legislative services in a wide range of areas including financial institutions, federal financial transfers to the provinces and territories, tax policy, trade issues, securities and capital markets regulation, money laundering, terrorist financing, financial administration and Crown corporations, public service employment and labour law, as well as the development and implementation of the federal budget.

The Portfolio provides legal and strategic advisory as well as litigation services to the Department of Finance, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Public Service Commission and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions of Canada. The Portfolio also represents employers in labour and employment law matters before various administrative tribunals as well as the federal courts.

Shirley Anne Off
Director General

The Communications Branch supports the Minister, Deputy Minister, Associate Deputy Minister and senior departmental officials to ensure that communications with the public are well coordinated, effectively managed and responsive to the needs of the audience. The Branch provides a full range of external and internal communications services, including strategic communications advice, media relations, issues management, event coordination and digital engagement.

The Branch develops communications plans, news releases, media lines, speeches, graphic design and digital content across multiple platforms. The Branch also partners with other government departments and agencies to ensure that litigation communications are well coordinated, clear and effective in communicating the Crown’s position on legal matters.

Antoine Abourizk
Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive

The Internal Audit and Evaluation Sector of the Department of Justice strengthens the accountability and improves the overall effectiveness and efficiency of departmental operations by determining whether the Department’s risk management, internal control and governance processes, as designed and represented by management, are adequate and functioning appropriately. The Sector also ensures that programs, policies and initiatives continue to be relevant, effective and efficient.

The Sector achieves its goals through the activities of its three branches:

Bill Kroll
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer

The Management Sector provides a suite of internal services to assist the Department in meeting its policy and program priorities, building a workplace of choice and delivering high-quality legal services to the Government of Canada.

Finance

The Finance and Planning Branch supports the Deputy Minister’s role as Chief Accounting Officer. It provides objective advice on the overall stewardship of the Department’s financial management and its performance, and it develops and provides guidance on corporate documents such as Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions, Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

Human Resources

The Human Resources Branch provides human resources management, including learning and leadership development, official languages, recruitment, compensation, labour relations, classification and talent/performance management, and offers services to foster a respectful, healthy and safe environment.

Legal Practices

The Legal Practices Branch promotes and ensures consistency, efficiency, continuous improvement and innovation in federal legal practices through the development of policies, tools and analytics. The Legal Practices Branch supports the professional needs of Justice’s legal professionals, including timekeeping, reporting, case management, and professional responsibility services. The Legal Practices Branch also supports legal knowledge management, legal learning and development, paralegal services and leads the department in the use of business analytics and artificial intelligence.

Information Technology

The Information Solutions Branch implements the Department’s IT Security Services, provides information management services, and processes public access requests to the Access to Information and Privacy Office.

Corporate Services

The Corporate Services Branch implements the Department’s Safety and Security Program and manages the Department’s accommodations and facilities nationally. It also provides select services to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada under a shared services agreement.

Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Secretariat

The Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Secretariat provides strategic advice on anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion approaches to employee well being, staffing, career progression, training and leadership accountability and delivers the Department’s Employment Equity Plan.

Lynn Lovett
Assistant Deputy Attorney General

The National Litigation Sector supports the Government, mitigates risks and manages the law before, during, or as a result of litigation. The Attorney General of Canada has responsibility for all litigation for or against the Crown, any department, or Crown agent corporations, but not for criminal prosecutions, which are handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. The litigation function within the Department of Justice is managed by the Sector at headquarters, the regional offices and some specialized departmental legal services units. The Assistant Deputy Attorney General has functional and coordination responsibility for all litigation conducted by or on behalf of the Department of Justice.

The National Litigation Sector is also responsible for extradition; mutual legal assistance requests and related litigation; national security litigation and coordination; class action and mass litigation to which Canada is a party; the Agent Affairs Program; and litigation support services and technology.

The Assistant Deputy Attorney General is the Government’s chief legal adviser in matters relating to litigation by and against the Crown.

Robert Frater, Q.C.
Chief General Counsel

The Chief General Counsel reports directly to the Deputy Minister and works on significant and high-profile litigation within the Department, working closely with the Assistant Deputy Attorney General and portfolio leads. He serves as a direct resource to the Deputy Minister, offering briefings, advice and strategic guidance on key legal issues from a whole-of-government perspective.

The Chief General Counsel’s role also includes mentoring counsel across the country; sharing his vast experience relating to oral and written advocacy; and supporting government departments and the interaction between litigation and government policy.

Laurie Wright
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister

The Policy Sector provides comprehensive legal and policy advice, research, program delivery and international legal technical assistance in support of the justice system.

The Sector comprises the following units: the Criminal Law Policy Section; the Family Law and Youth Justice Policy Section; the Programs Branch; the Policy Integration and Coordination Section; the International Development Section; and the Access to Justice Secretariat. The Sector’s main areas of expertise are criminal law (substantive and procedural), victims, federal family law, youth criminal justice, Indigenous justice, international development, and access to justice.

The Policy Sector coordinates both the Department’s policy work and its relationships with policy partners in the federal government and with the provinces and territories, non-governmental organizations in Canada, and international institutions and organizations. The Sector is also responsible for sustaining the Department’s research capacity.

The Sector has a multidisciplinary team responsible for grants and contributions. Through this, the Department provides funding to community organizations and other levels of government that are working to support a fair, relevant and accessible justice system.

Jodie van Dieen
Counsel to the Clerk of the Privy Council and Assistant Deputy Minister

The Privy Council Office Legal Services Sector provides legal advice and services to the Privy Council Office and its portfolio ministers, in support of Cabinet and whole-of-government decision-making.

The Sector advises the Privy Council Office on the operation of the Cabinet decision-making system as well as on a wide range of program, policy, legislative, and litigation activities. For example, the Sector supports the Privy Council Office on matters involving Governor-in-Council and Senate appointments, House of Commons and Senate agenda and activities, intergovernmental relations, and other policy matters facing the Government.

In addition, the Sector serves as a centre of expertise on legal issues surrounding confidences of the Queen’s Privy Council. In this regard, the Sector supports the Clerk of the Privy Council as custodian of confidences and in the exercise of the Clerk’s statutory duties in the context of judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings, and pursuant to requests for access to confidences.

The Sector also supports the Privy Council Office in litigation respecting their responsibilities such as Parliament (the Government House Leader), elections (the Minister of Democratic Institutions), intergovernmental matters (Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs), youth (Prime Minister), and Privy Council Office decisions under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act. The Sector provides legal support as well to the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.

Nancy Othmer
Assistant Deputy Minister

The Public Law and Legislative Services Sector delivers specialized legal advisory services and policy advice and plays a fundamental role in developing Canadian legislation and regulations.

The Sector has recognized expertise in human rights law and policy; constitutional, administrative and international law; information and privacy law and policy; official languages law and policy; judicial affairs; international trade and investment law; and legislative and regulatory law.

The Legislative Services Branch drafts bills and regulations in both official languages harmoniously with Canada’s two legal systems. In doing so, it contributes to the general recognition and promotion of bilingualism and bijuralism.

The Secretariat of the Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 is housed in the Sector and supports the work of the Committee and its working group.

Samantha Maislin Dickson
Assistant Deputy Minister

The Public Safety, Defence and Immigration Portfolio provides integrated legal advisory services, litigation support and drafting support services to the following departments and agencies:

It is also responsible for the Department of Justice’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program and the Department of Justice’s National Security and Intelligence Reviews Coordination Unit. The portfolio also houses an Issues Management Unit, which coordinates and manages significant and complex issues for the portfolio.

The Portfolio’s main areas of expertise include national security law, corrections and conditional release, immigration and refugee law, border law, national defence law, law enforcement and international criminal law.

Catherine Letellier de St-Just
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister

The Tax Law Services Portfolio provides integrated litigation and advisory services in the area of tax law and related fields to the Canada Revenue Agency. The Portfolio’s experience encompasses areas of practice, such as, the goods and services tax, income tax, collection, employment insurance, administrative law, ministerial governance and civil litigation.

The Portfolio is located in Ottawa, but provides legal services in coordination with the National Litigation Sector and regional offices across the country. Its in-depth expertise in law and related areas allows the Portfolio to mobilize resources best suited to respond to the evolving legal needs of the Canada Revenue Agency.

David Hansen
Regional Director General

The Atlantic Regional Office, located in Halifax, provides legal services to federal departments and agencies in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. The Regional Office’s areas of practice include litigation, Aboriginal law, commercial law, real property, public safety, defence, immigration, public law, regulatory law and tax law services. Regional counsel represent the Government of Canada at various tribunals and all levels of court in the four Atlantic provinces.

Valérie Tardif
Regional Director General

The Quebec Regional Office is headquartered in Montreal, with a sub-office in Ottawa. Quebec is the only province in which Canada’s two legal traditions exist side by side. Questions of private law are dealt with under the Civil Code of Québec, while common law applies in matters of public and criminal law. The Regional Office provides legal services to federal departments and organizations operating in Quebec. It represents the Attorney General of Canada in proceedings heard by Quebec tribunals, administrative bodies and federal courts, as well as before the Supreme Court of Canada in matters such as immigration, tax law, commercial law, regulatory law and Aboriginal law. Its notaries provide legal services related to commercial and real property matters involving the Government of Canada.

Carla Lyon
Regional Director General

The Ontario Regional Office, located in Toronto, provides legal services to federal client departments and agencies in Ontario. The Regional Office’s areas of practice are civil litigation, regulatory law, commercial law, immigration law, Aboriginal law, public law, tax law services, advisory services and extradition.

Stephen Zaluski
Regional Director General

The Prairie Regional Office provides legal services to federal departments and agencies operating in offices in Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton), Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) and Manitoba (Winnipeg). Its main areas of practice are Indigenous; tax; business and regulatory; public safety, defence and immigration; and extradition.

Jonathan Chaplan
Regional Director General

The British Columbia Regional Office is located in Vancouver, with a sub-office in Victoria. The Regional Office provides legal services to more than 30 federal departments and agencies in British Columbia, as well as in other provinces and territories where the provincial counsel are the lead. The Regional Office’s areas of practice are Aboriginal law, tax law, public safety, defence and immigration, central agency, business and regulatory matters, among others. Regional counsel represent the Government of Canada at various tribunals and all levels of court.

Alex Benitah
Regional Director General

The Northern Regional Office provides legal services to federal departments operating in the three northern territories. It has offices in Yellowknife (Northwest Territories) and Whitehorse (Yukon); it also has lawyers co-located with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada in Iqaluit (Nunavut). The Regional Office’s areas of practice are Aboriginal law, public safety, defence and immigration, business and regulatory matters and tax law services.