Statement from Minister Wilson-Raybould on the 150th Anniversary of the Department of Justice

Act of Parliament established Department of Justice 150 years ago

May 25, 2018                        Ottawa, Ontario                    Department of Justice Canada

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today issued the following statement:

“150 years ago this week, the Department of Justice Act was passed in Parliament, creating the Department of Justice.  Over the past century and a half, the Department has helped shape Canada’s history, and played a key role in such historic moments as the repatriation of the Constitution in 1982, which entrenched of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and recognized and affirmed Aboriginal and treaty rights.

Every day, Department of Justice employees across the country are responsible for ensuring that the Government’s legal actions are consistent with Canada’s Constitution and with the values of Canadians. They draft all Government of Canada legislation that comes before Parliament, and work to ensure that our justice system is fair and just for all Canadians. 

As with everyone’s history, Canada’s is not a simple one – nor is that of the Department of Justice.  By working together, we can learn from the past and work together to make Canada a more fair, just and inclusive society for all Canadians.  

As the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, I extend my gratitude to all Department of Justice employees for their dedication and contributions to modernizing Canada’s justice system.  I invite all Canadians to look toward the next 150 years and what each of us can do to make Canada a more just place for all.”

For more information, media may contact:

David Taylor
Director of Communications
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613-992-4621

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca