Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the International Legal Programs Section?
   The International Legal Programs Section (ILPS) is part of the Department of Justice Canada’s Policy Sector. It has two broad areas of responsibility.
   • It administers and manages all programs and activities related to the delivery of Canadian international technical legal assistance and institutional capacity-building to countries in many regions of the world as they build, reform and strengthen their legal systems and also provides responses to urgent justice sector crisis situations as part of a whole-of-government intervention. As such, the ILPS is the Department’s centre of expertise on issues concerning the building of legal systems in other states and the provision of urgent justice sector responses in crisis situations.
   • It supports the Department’s and the Minister of Justice’s international activities, such as visits to Canada by justice ministers and officials from other countries and Canadian participation in international conferences involving justice ministries.
2. Why does the Department of Justice Canada work in these areas?
   The Government of Canada has identified development assistance in matters of justice and the rule of law as a foreign policy priority in certain countries and regions of the world. Efforts to help countries build, reform and strengthen their legal systems will ultimately benefit Canadians because sound justice systems and institutions, based on the rule of law and respect for the law, help to foster peace, prosperity and stability.
   
   The Department of Justice Canada created the ILPS to meet the need for an organization that could represent Canada’s  interests and deliver technical assistance to the justice sector within a government-to-government context. As Canada’s largest legal organization, the Department has many people who have the legal expertise, experience and understanding of the legal systems in Canada and in other countries to help address issues that are often extremely challenging. The ILPS ensures that these strengths are tapped in an effective and coordinated fashion.
3. How long has the Department of Justice Canada been working in the field of international legal assistance to other countries?
   The Department has been involved in this work since 1990, but the ILPS was created in 2005 to coordinate and deliver these initiatives. This was the Department’s contribution to a whole-of-government approach to the advancement of Canada’s foreign policy and development assistance agenda.
4. Where does ILPS work?
   ILPS involvement depends essentially on the nature of the expertise required and on the conditions of the proposed initiative. The ILPS works with partners at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and with their counterparts in government and civil society in other countries to identify where Department of Justice Canada expertise can be most helpful and productive.
5. Does ILPS deal with extradition issues?
   No. These are the responsibility of the International Assistance Group in the Department’s Litigation Branch.
6. Does ILPS deal with immigration and refugee issues?
   No. These are the responsibility of Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Board.
7. Does ILPS deal with international law issues?
   No. The International Law Section in the Department of Justice’s Public Law Sector is responsible for providing legal opinions on international issues relating to Canada.  DFAIT has a legal department staffed by Justice lawyers who specialize in foreign affairs and trade law issues.
8. Does ILPS provide funding for legal reform projects?
   No. The ILPS implements projects that are funded by partners such as CIDA and DFAIT.