Justice Canada

Tel: 613-957-4840

Fax: 613-954-0811

E-mail: drennie@justice.gc.ca 

Donald Rennie is the Acting Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Litigation Branch. In this capacity, Mr. Rennie oversees all civil litigation involving the federal government in the common law provinces and the territories. He is also responsible for criminal law litigation not specifically conducted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. This includes appeals and interventions in Criminal Code matters, extradition, mutual legal assistance and objections under the Canada Evidence Act. He chairs the National Litigation Committee which provides recommendations to the Minister on significant litigation, interventions and appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Rennie has been a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 1981. Prior to his appointment as A/ADAG, he was counsel to Canada in its most complex and sensitive litigation. He was counsel on the litigation arising from the crash of Air India 182, counsel for the Government of Canada at the Commission of Inquiry into the Blood System in Canada, conducted the negotiations leading to the settlement of litigation arising over the sale of Pearson International Airport, and was counsel to Canada in an arbitration under the North America Free Trade Agreement by United Parcel Services against Canada Post. He represented the Clerk of the Privy Counsel at the Gomery Commission, was counsel in the Attorney General's successful appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal in Authorson v. A.G.C. Most recently, he was lead counsel, in the Ontario Superior Court, in the Attorney General's defence of a challenge to the $30 Billion surplus in the federal pension plans. He frequently appears for the Attorney General in the Supreme Court of Canada, and in the appellate courts of the provinces. He is the co-author of two professional publications: Federal Court Practice (1988-2008) and the Annotated Crown Liability and Proceedings Act, 1995.

Mr. Rennie holds an LL.B. from the Dalhousie University and a B.A. Honours from the University of Guelph. He was a Law Clerk to the Ontario Court of Appeal.