Procedure and House Affairs committee No. I'd have to disagree with that. I think it's very important to maintain the perception of the independence of the prosecutorial function.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee I just want to clarify something. The Attorney General does not have authority in respect of elections matters under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee That is not changed under the bill that is before you right now.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee Also, I'm not a deputy minister. I'm a deputy head. There is a distinction there, because we're not a department of government; we're an agency. In terms of your question—
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee Yes, it is, because my relationship differs from that of a deputy minister. My relationship is set out specifically in the—
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee That politician, though, is the Attorney General of Canada. You have to remember that when the Attorney General of Canada acts in the prosecution domain he is bound by the same principles I am. He is bound by the principle that he must exercise his discretion in a manner that is
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee You are talking about the current links between the...
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee I think Mr. Côté rather than myself should answer that question, because this concerns investigations and not prosecutions.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee As I mentioned earlier, it is a matter of policy that concerns the government. It will be up to Parliament to make the decision. I am only here to discuss the operational impacts such a change may have on the PPSC.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee That's right.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee Pursuant to the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, I conduct prosecutions under and on behalf of the attorney general.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee I'm a deputy head, yes.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee The parameters of the relationship between my office and the attorney general's office are set out in the act—
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
Procedure and House Affairs committee Yes, but the reporting that I do is different from the reporting that you would find in other departments.
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders
April 28th, 2014Committee meeting
Brian J. Saunders