Organization of the Department of Justice

The Department of Justice is headed by the Deputy Minister, who provides advice and support to the Minister and acts as the main interface between the political and administrative functions of government. The Department is headquartered in Ottawa and comprises over 5,000 employees. Many of our lawyers work on-site in some 30 other federal departments and agencies. Other Justice employees work in our 17 regional offices and sub-offices across the country, enabling the Department to respond effectively to regional issues. Roughly half of the Department's staff is made up of lawyers; the other half includes experts in fields such as research, social sciences, and communications, as well as paralegals and support staff.

Our regional staff provides legal advice to federal departments and agencies outside Ottawa, and is responsible for most of the government's litigation work in the provinces. The Department's offices in the territories also deal with some responsibilities normally carried out by provincial governments, such as Criminal Code prosecutions and property law transactions.

No matter where we're located, Justice employees play a central role in drafting bills for Parliament, whether they originate with the Department of Justice or with another department.

The Government Electronic Directory Service (GEDS) provides a display of the Department's overall structure.

The page Our Work provides a list of some of the business units within the Department.