Department of Justice Canada

A wind of change is blowing on official languages in Canada. In the space of a few weeks this spring, the government unveiled a new Federal Action Plan with historic investments for the benefit of official language minority communities, and Parliament passed legislation representing the most...

In consultation and cooperation with Indigenous and provincial and territorial partners, Justice Canada is developing an Indigenous Justice Strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system. In the spirit of reconciliation, and out...

The United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) asserts Indigenous peoples’ “right to access to and prompt decision through just and fair procedures for the resolution of conflicts and disputes” with “due consideration to the customs, traditions, rules and legal...

Child-to-parent violence and aggression (CPVA) is described as a form of family violence characterized by a pattern (as opposed to a single incident) of violent and aggressive behaviours in children and youth towards their parents or primary caregivers. These behaviours may have several...

This report summarizes five thought papers written by subject-matter experts to assist family law legal advisers in identifying and responding to family violence in diverse communities. The thought papers focused on the following population groups: racialized groups; 2SLGBTQI+ individuals; Muslim...

The Department of Justice Canada has been leading efforts to modernize the federal Privacy Act, which is a key piece of Canada’s legal framework for protecting privacy interests. As part of this work, Justice Canada undertook an initial engagement with Indigenous governments and organizations...

Crime in Canada is a costly social phenomenon that affects everyone. The effects of crime are far-reaching and can include: -direct financial costs to the institutions that make up the criminal justice system; -ndirect costs to other social institutions and to the Canadian economy more broadly;...

This fact sheet presents information on criminal court cases where the most serious offence in the case is a drug-related offence subject to a mandatory minimum penalty (MMP). Data were obtained through a request to the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (CCJCSS) and...

This report presents research findings on the delivery of legal aid and associated legal services to persons living in rural and remote areas of all provinces and territories. It is based on a review of the literature and interviews with 17 key respondents (with one or more from each...

In Canada, there are many ways to include children’s voices in family law matters such as through non-court child inclusive methods (e.g., children talking with their parents, children sharing their views with professionals) and court-based child inclusive methods (e.g., child legal...

As part of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (2019-2024), this report provides an update on the most current strategies used by investigators in the field and is intended to improve the overall responses of law enforcement agencies to this national priority. This report also aims...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

To minimize the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the justice system, the Department of Justice has put in place temporary e-service measures for service on the Crown. Service on the Crown relates to commencing proceedings (legal action) against the Crown. To initiate service on the Crown, the...

The Minister of Justice prepares a "Charter Statement" to help inform the public and Parliamentary debate on a government bill. One of the Minister of Justice's most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for consistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ["The...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

This Litigation Year in Review 2016 is intended to provide Canadians with some highlights of the progress we made this past year in several important areas of litigation. In reviewing and rethinking the Government’s litigation strategy over the course of 2016, I focused on three main themes:...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...