Department of Justice Activities and Commitments Related to Strategic Environmental Assessment
The
Cabinet
Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program
Proposals requires a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of proposals that may have important
environmental impacts and that require ministerial approval or Cabinet
approval. The Cabinet Affairs Unit (CAU) is a central point of contact
for Justice Canada Memoranda to Cabinet (MCs) en route for Ministerial
approval. It ensures and monitors compliance with the Cabinet Directive.
The CAU advises drafters of MCs of the requirement to conduct an SEA
and refers them to the appropriate SD information, processes and
procedures. A copy of the completed assessment is retained with the
final approved MCs as part of its permanent record.
Department of Justice policy and program officials review MCs
initiated by the Department to determine whether an SEA is required. However, considering
the nature of Justice’s policies and programs, there is seldom,
if ever, any direct environmental impact.
The CAU also includes the SD Coordinator on the distribution list
for Interdepartmental Meetings on MCs.
