Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada

William F. Pentney was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada on November 5, 2012.

Mr. Pentney joined the Public Service in 1991 as General Counsel and Director of Legal Services at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, where he remained until 1999.

From 1999 to 2006, Mr. Pentney held a number of positions at the Department of Justice, including Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for the Policy Sector, and Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Citizenship, Immigration and Public Safety Portfolio. 

From October 2006 to December 2007, Mr. Pentney was Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Priorities and Planning at the Privy Council Office. From January 2008 to August 2010, Mr. Pentney served as Associate Deputy Minister of the Department of National Defence.

Mr. Pentney became Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, Plans and Consultation at the Privy Council Office in September 2010, and held that position until his appointment as Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada. 

Prior to joining the Public Service, Mr. Pentney was Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa.

Mr. Pentney holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Public Law from the University of Ottawa. Mr. Pentney is the author of several books and articles, including the revised edition of Justice Tarnopolsky’s text Discrimination and the Law in Canada, and Human Rights and Freedoms in Canada: Cases, Notes and Materials (with Mark Berlin).