Office of the JAG :::  

The Office of the JAG comprises regular force and reserve force legal officers. The regular force legal officers are employed throughout the CF, in Canada and abroad as follows:

• National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa;
• Assistant Judge Advocate General (AJAG) offices, six in Canada, one in the United States and one in Germany;
• Deputy Judge Advocate (DJA) offices across Canada;
• Regional Military Prosecutor (RMP) offices across Canada;
• Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers (Europe) in Belgium;
• with CF contingents deployed overseas; and
• in training with CF formations and units participating in major national and international exercises.

In addition, legal officers are also employed in the Office of the DND/CF Legal Advisor and the CF Military Law Centre.

Like their regular force colleagues, reserve force legal officers are employed throughout the CF and on operations. They are also integrated into the defence and prosecution functions of the military justice system.

Below, you will find the organizational chart for the regular and reserve components of the legal branch, as well as maps showing the location of all JAG offices in Canada and around the world.

• Office of the JAG Organizational Chart (PDF Version, 96 kb)
• JAG offices across Canada (PDF Version, 213 kb)

Reporting Relationships

The JAG is statutorily responsible to the Minister of National Defence and “accountable” for the legal advice given to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the military chain of command, and to the Deputy Minister. This clear accountability structure was designed to enhance the integrity of the Office of the JAG and ensure the independence of the JAG from the chain of command in the provision of legal advice in all areas including military justice.

This independent role is reinforced in Queen’s Regulations and Orders (QR&O) articles 4.081(1) and (4), which state that all legal officers whose duty is the provision of legal services shall be posted within the Office of the JAG and, in respect of the performance of their duties, a legal officer is not subject to the command of an officer who is not a legal officer.

The following organizational chart illustrates the JAG’s position within the hierarchy of DND and the CF.

• Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces Organizational Chart (PDF Version, 37 kb)

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