Canadian Heritage Legal Services Unit Overview

The PCH Legal Services Unit (PCH LSU) provides legal and strategic support to four (4) Ministers and two (2) federal organizations:

• The Minister of Canadian Heritage
• The Minister of Official Languages
• The Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth
• The Minister of Women and Gender Equality
• Library and Archives Canada
• The National Battlefield Commission

The PCH LSU provides full legal services, including legal advice and strategic support; litigation support; legislative and regulatory drafting support; as well as training, to its clients. Legal advice and strategic support can range from drafting contracts; interpreting the law as it relates to a client organization; scanning the legal environment relevant to the operations of PCH and organizations served by the unit and providing legal risks and mitigation strategies. Counsel provide litigation support by taking the steps to defend or initiate litigation using their knowledge of a client’s legislation and operations, as well as by exploring opportunities for amicable dispute resolution. Legislative and regulatory drafting support includes assisting the client department in translating their policy proposals into drafting instructions to draft legislation and regulation. Finally, the PCH LSU also provides training to client organizations on various legal subjects.

The PCH LSU team is composed of a dozen seasoned lawyers, supported by a small group of dedicated administrative staff. Counsel specialize in fields such as commercial law, intellectual property, indigenous law, official languages, broadcasting, cultural property, multiculturalism, international trade as it relates to culture, foreign investment reviews, transfer payments, tax law, sports and entertainment law to name a few. PCH LSU counsel work in close collaboration with other sectors of Justice – other legal service units as well as specialized sections of Justice – in order to bring the relevant sets of skills and expertise available within Justice to contribute towards addressing your specific needs.