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About the Department

The Department of Justice is responsible for the dual offices of:

The Attorney General, who is responsible for:

  • Administering criminal justice in the province, and the prosecution of all offenses under the Criminal Code of Canada, and the statutes of Newfoundland and Labrador;
  • Representing the Crown in matters of civil litigation;
  • Providing legal services to all government departments and agencies;
  • Representing the Crown where public rights of concern to the provincial government are being questioned;
  • Providing advice to government on proposed legislation, carrying out studies for the reform of law, and providing legislative drafting services for the government;
  • Providing access to legal aid to those persons who are eligible.

The Minister of Justice, who is responsible for:

  • Administering court services;
  • Administering correctional systems;
  • Administering police protection.

Mandate

The mandate of the Department of Justice derives primarily from the Executive Council Act. This mandate reflects the dual responsibilities of its Minister as both Minister of Justice and the Attorney General for Newfoundland and Labrador. While several other Canadian jurisdictions have separate ministries for Justice and Attorney General, the structure is consolidated in Newfoundland and Labrador. Justice includes responsibility for administering the Province’s legal system. The principal components include administration of the courts, policing, adult corrections, secure youth justice services and victim services.

Reflecting the role and authority of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice provides legal services to the Crown including legal advice to departments, litigation, prosecution and legislative drafting services. Within this role, the Department’s central agency function requires it to provide ongoing policy advice and direction. This occurs within the Department as well as throughout government and its agencies on matters on public interest and concern.

While the Executive Council Act is the primary legislative authority for the Department of Justice mandate, the policies, services and programs are also governed by 96 pieces of legislation which the Department is responsible for administering.

Vision

A justice system that is accessible and understood, and which plays a key role in creating a fair, equitable and safe society where all people can pursue their lawful rights and freedoms.

Mission

By 2011, the Department of Justice will have enhanced services and responses in the provincial justice system to improve public access to and confidence in the system.

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Lines of Business:

In fulfilling its mandate, the Department of Justice operates in several overall broad capacities:

  • as a central agency of government;
  • as a direct provider of critical and diverse public services;
  • as an administrator of major societal institutions.

The responsibilities of the Department are represented throughout the following distinct lines of business:

  1. The Office of the Legislative Counsel is responsible for the provision of legislative drafting services to government and, in conjunction with the Office of the Queen’s Printer and the House of Assembly, the publication and dissemination of the legislation of the Province.
  2. Policing Services are delivered through the Province’s two policing agencies: the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Both police forces are responsible for fostering and maintaining peaceful and safe communities through a full range of policing responses. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary's largest jurisdiction is the predominately urban northeast Avalon region; additionally there are detachments in Corner Brook, Labrador City and Churchill Falls. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is responsible for the remainder, approximately 60% of the Province’s population, many of whom reside in rural and remote areas.
  3. Additional Enforcement Services include the Office of the High Sheriff which provides administrative, jury and security services to the Supreme and Provincial Courts; the Support Enforcement Program which collects and distributes court-ordered funds for support; and Inland Fish Enforcement which focuses on activities related to illegal fishing activities.
  4. Corrections and Community Services has a dual client focus in having responsibility for offenders as well as for victims of crime. It is responsible for the safe and secure custody of young and adult offenders through correctional centres and secure custody facilities; for providing adult community corrections in the form of probation services; and for providing services to victims of crime involved in the criminal justice system through a regional network of 11 Victim Services Offices.
  5. Public Prosecutions is responsible for prosecuting all Criminal Code and provincial statute matters in the Province. Prosecutors appear in every level of court in the Province and in the Supreme Court of Canada. There are ten Public Prosecutions offices in the Province.
  6. Civil Law is responsible for providing legal services to government departments and government’s agencies. This takes the form of providing legal opinions, drafting commercial and financial documents and representing government and its agencies in negotiations and civil actions before administrative tribunals, all levels of court and judicial inquiries.
  7. Court Services is responsible for providing infrastructure and administrative support to the Supreme and Provincial Courts.

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Staff

The Department employs approximately 1537 staff including the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC). Additionally, pursuant to the Provincial Policing Services Agreement between the Province and the Federal Government, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) employs approximately 435 RCMP officers to provide frontline policing services in over 50 locations throughout the Province.

The overall gender breakdown for staffing in the Department is approximately 47% female and 53% male.

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The People We Serve

At the broadest level, the general public is the largest client group for the Department of Justice. The general public relies on the effectiveness and efficiency of the justice system to protect people’s fundamental rights, liberties and freedoms. This occurs through the full range of services and interventions available through all lines of business. Sometimes this may involve direct interventions and services to particular individuals or groups of individuals, while at other times it may mean broad ranging legal protections that serve to support a free, stable and democratic society.

Government itself is a significant Department of Justice client. Civil law services are provided to government departments and agencies in the form of legal advice as well as representation in litigation. Legislative drafting services are provided by the Office of the Legislative Counsel.

At the individual level, those who are accused or convicted of criminal offenses are clearly identified recipients of Department of Justice services and interventions. Victims of criminal offenses are also receiving increased attention and expanded service within the justice system. Victims and/or offenders may require the intervention of police, court services, prosecutions, legal aid, victim services or corrections at various times throughout the justice process. Clients of Support Enforcement rely on this program to enforce court support orders and to ensure timely disbursement of amounts owing to them through these orders.

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