Information on Regulations

Departmental Context

The Minister of Justice is responsible for the Department of Justice, which provides legal services such as drafting legislation, providing legal advice to the government and its departments and conducting litigation. The Department of Justice is responsible for several regulations with respect to divorce, criminal justice and the administration of Canada's justice system. The Minister of Justice is both the Attorney General and the chief law officer of the Crown. The Department of Justice also develops policies and programs to support victims, families, children and in respect of the youth criminal justice system.

In support of the Government of Canada's Red Tape Reduction Action Plan, the Department of Justice is committed to the accessibility of information on regulatory requirements. The Department of Justice offers information on family law, criminal law and Canada's system of justice in so far as it is consistent with the Department of Justice Canada Policy on Legal Assistance. Guidelines and additional information can be accessed from the homepage of the Justice Canada web site.

Predictability

Plain Language Commitment

The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that the guidelines it provides be written in clear and plain language.

The Department of Justice has also fulfilled the recommendation of the Red Tape Reduction Commission "that the Department of Justice continue to develop tools to foster the intelligibility of legislative texts" to improve the clarity and predictability of regulation for business and improve the understanding of regulatory requirements. The Department issued the Guide to Fostering the Readability of Legislative Texts so that legislation is as accessible and as easy to understand as possible.

Providing Guidance and Building Awareness

The Department of Justice provides information on family law, criminal law and Canada's system of justice. Guidelines and additional information can be accessed from the homepage of the Justice Canada web site.

Responding to Questions

The Department of Justice Policy on Legal Assistance explains the Department's role with respect to the provision of legal advice and interpretation in response to inquiries from the public.

Frequently Asked Questions: Regulations

For more information

• Guide for Developing and Posting Interpretation Policies
• The Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management
• The Red Tape Reduction Action Plan
• The Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council

To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, please visit the Canada Gazette and Consulting with Canadians websites.