About
John Mark Keyes serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law and instructor for Athabasca University's Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Legislative Drafting Program, leveraging 40+ years of expertise in legislative systems. His career includes senior roles at Canada's Department of Justice culminating as Chief Legislative Counsel (2005-2013).
Educational credentials include a law degree from the University of Toronto (called to Ontario Bar, 1981), Diploma in Legislative Drafting (1983), and LL.M (1985) from the University of Ottawa.
His research centers on legislative drafting mechanics and public law interfaces, evidenced by two seminal monographs: Executive Legislation (3rd ed., 2021) and Drafting, Interpreting and Applying Legislation (2023), alongside 35+ academic articles analyzing statutory interpretation frameworks and regulatory governance.
Major recognitions include:
- Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
- Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)
- Laurier Marcil Lavallée Award (2016)
- CIAJ President’s Award (2016)
- Ottawa Little Theatre Cornerstone Award (2017)
- Canadian Bar Association John Tait Award (2020)
Professor Keyes chaired CIAJ's biennial legislative drafting conferences and served as treasurer/editor for the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel (CALC), while previously leading Justice Canada's Legislative Services Branch and championing Sustainable Development initiatives. His work bridges academic theory with practical legislative development through ongoing program direction for Athabasca University.
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