Law

Organizational Structure

Assistant Deputy Minister & Counsel to the Department of Finance: Isabelle Jacques

• Senior General Counsel & Executive Director Finance Legal Services: Jennifer Aitken
  • General Counsel and Executive Director Finance Legal Services: Robert Wong
  • Senior Counsel and Deputy Director Finance Legal Services: Tom Boucher
• Director, Values and Ethics & Protection Disclosure Officer: Gregory Gauthier

Finance Legal Services

• Our principal responsibilities include:
  • Provision of legal and policy advice on all matters of concern to the Department, including the development and implementation of the Budget.
  • Legislative services, including the drafting of legislation and examination ("blue-stamping") of regulations.
  • Liaison between the Department and other groups in Justice Canada, including on litigation and drafting.

• Legal support for the Department is provided in the following practice areas:
  • Financial institutions
  • Securities
  • International trade and finance
  • Crown, commercial and corporate
  • The national debt and related instruments
  • Taxation

• Legal support delivered through:
  • Response to opinion requests, including advice on alternative policy options
  • Review of policy notes and other documents prepared by the Department on matters that have legal risk concerns
  • Analysis of developments in jurisprudence and implications
  • Coordinating the effort by departmental officials necessary to respond to legal obligations arising out of litigation (e.g. document discovery, affidavit evidence / testimony)
  • Preparation of legal documents (agreements and contracts)
  • Participation in negotiations
  • Drafting, or the giving of instructions on the drafting, of legislation and regulations

Values and Ethics

• Report to the Deputy Minister on Values and Ethics issues
• Also serves as the Disclosure Protection Officer responsible for receipt, screening and investigation of disclosures of wrongdoing
• Promote awareness, understanding and compliance with the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector, and the Finance Code of Conduct
• Assist employees in understanding their responsibilities under the Codes
  • One of responsibilities of public servants is avoiding "conflict of interest" situations
  • "Conflict of interest" - a situation in which a public servant has a personal interest that could reasonably be seen to compromise his or her ability to perform his or her duties objectively and impartially
  • Conflict of interest risks vary depending on the nature of the public servant's duties
  • To mitigate conflict of interest risks, all Finance employees have an ongoing obligation to make annual disclosures of any reportable publicly traded securities they personally hold
• Guide employees in upholding highest standards in values and ethics through awareness, dialogue and mutual problem-solving
• Serve as a safe haven for employees to discuss ethical dilemmas and to disclose potential cases of wrongdoing in the workplace while respecting privacy / confidentiality issues