The Office of the Judge Advocate General
The Judge Advocate General
Pursuant to section 9 of the National Defence Act, the Judge Advocate General is appointed by the Governor in Council and acts as the legal advisor to the Governor General, the Minister, the Department of National Defence, and the Canadian Armed Forces in matters relating to military law. The Judge Advocate General also has the statutory duty to superintend the administration of military justice in the Canadian Armed Forces pursuant to section 9.2(1) of the National Defence Act. The Judge Advocate General is responsible to the Minister in the performance of these duties and functions.
Command of the Office of the Judge Advocate General
The Judge Advocate General has command over all officers and non-commissioned members posted to a position established within the Office of the JAG. The Judge Advocate General is assisted in this role by the Vice Judge Advocate General who provides strategic leadership support and assists the Judge Advocate General in the execution of their responsibilities. This position was created in June 2023 as part of a broader initiative to modernize and streamline the provision of legal services within the Canadian Armed Forces.
The duties of a legal officer are determined by, or under the authority of, the Judge Advocate General and in respect of the performance of those duties, a legal officer is not subject to the command of an officer who is not a legal officer. This is to ensure that legal officers provide independent legal services. All qualified legal officers serving in the Office of the JAG are members in good standing at the bar of a province or territory in Canada.Footnote 22
The Office of the Judge Advocate General
The Office of the JAG supports the Judge Advocate General in carrying out their statutory duties and functions. It is composed of Canadian Armed Forces Regular and Reserve Force legal officers, civilian members of the Public Service, and Canadian Armed Forces members from other military occupations. For instance, there are 10 Chief Warrant Officer / Petty Officer First Class positions across the regional offices throughout the country. They provide critical leadership to support the Assistant Judge Advocates Generals and units administering military justice. During the 2024/2025 reporting period, there was a 20 percent vacancy rate for the available Chief Warrant Officers / Petty Officer First Class positions within the Office of the JAG.
The Judge Advocate General’s Strategic Guidance for the Office of the JAG defines the Office’s overall mission as consisting of three principal lines of effort.Footnote 23 The first is delivering client-focused, timely, options-oriented, and operationally driven military legal services in support of the Government of Canada, Department of National Defence, and Canadian Armed Forces’ priorities and objectives. The second is superintending the administration of the military justice system and promoting the maintenance of discipline, efficiency, and morale in the Canadian Armed Forces by enabling the proper operation of the military justice system. The third line of effort is leading by example, inspiring excellence, and empowering Office of the JAG team members to reach their full potential. The Strategic Guidance also identifies the four values that guide those who serve in the Office of the JAG: respect, courage, creativity and accountability.
The Office of the JAG is composed of six divisions and two directorates, all led by legal officers of the Colonel/ Captain(N) rank.
The divisions are the Chief of Staff and Corporate Services Division, the Military Justice Division, the Military Justice Modernization Division, the Operational and International Law Division, the Administrative Law Division, and the Regional Services Division.
The Office of the JAG also includes the Director of Defence Counsel Services and the Director of Military Prosecutions. The Director of Defence Counsel Services, assisted by legal officers who act as defence counsel, is responsible for providing, supervising, and directing legal services to persons who are liable to be charged, dealt with, and tried under the Code of Service Discipline, at no cost to the member. The Director of Defence Counsel Services is appointed by the Minister for a renewable term of four years and acts independently from the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces authorities when exercising their powers, duties, and functions.
The Director of Military Prosecutions is the senior military prosecutor in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is the responsibility of the Director of Military Prosecutions, with the assistance of legal officers appointed to act as military prosecutors, to prefer charges to be tried by court martial, to conduct all prosecutions at court martial, and to act as counsel for the Minister in respect of appeals to the CMAC and the Supreme Court of Canada. The Director of Military Prosecutions is also responsible for providing advice in support of investigations conducted by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service and Military Police.
The Director of Military Prosecutions and the Director of Defence Counsel Services submit annual reports to the Judge Advocate General. Their reports for the 2024/2025 reporting period are available online here: