The Association of Justice Counsel is the exclusive bargaining agent for approximately 3,500 lawyers employed by the government of Canada, who work for the Department of Justice, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, and provide in-house legal services to various federal agencies, tribunals and courts across the country.
Our members are Federal Crown Counsel, who fulfill a number of crucial roles for the government of Canada and the Canadian public, including:
- Prosecuting criminal offences under federal statutes, and Criminal Code offences in the North and by provincial delegation;
- Drafting policy and legislation;
- Litigating on behalf of Canada in complex areas, including:
- First Nations land claims;
- Health regulation;
- Immigration;
- Extradition;
- Veterans´ affairs;
- Customs and revenue;
- Commission inquiries; and
- National security certificates; and
- Defending Canada against claims that total as much as $1.2 trillion at any given time.
The AJC is headquartered in Ottawa with a 41 member Governing Council each representing members and a region.