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
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