Chair of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Anne McLellan holds a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, December 13, 2016, to discuss the report on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation. iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood

Former deputy prime minister and Liberal minister Anne McLellan has submitted her report on potentially separating federal attorney general and justice minister roles to the Prime Minister’s Office, a spokesperson for her says.

The study was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 18, at the height of the SNC-Lavalin affair.

Barbara Stirling, McLellan’s executive assistant at Bennett Jones SLP, told iPolitics Tuesday McLellan has submitted the report to the prime minister and that it is in translation.

Trudeau asked McLellan to examine the dual role of attorney general and justice minister, which in Canada has traditionally been held by one minister. The deadline for her to report back and give recommendations was the end of June.

At the time, the appointment was harshly criticized by opposition parties because McLellan is a longtime Liberal who has previously helped Trudeau fundraise. There were also calls for a public inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin affair when McLellan’s study was announced.

McLellan has previously advised the Trudeau government on how to legalize cannabis. She has a lengthy career in politics, having served in the cabinets of former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin.

BACKGROUNDER: Anne McLellan to advise on separating attorney general, justice minister roles

Separating the responsibilities of the attorney general and justice minister was frequently raised during the political controversy, which revolved around Trudeau and senior members of the government allegedly pressuring former attorney general and justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to get criminal charges dropped against Quebec-based engineering giant SNC-Lavalin.

The March press release announcing McLellan’s appointment stated that the “events of the last few weeks have raised important questions about the relationship between the federal government and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.”

Critics have suggested there’s a conflict in the dual roles of attorney general and justice minister being handled by one person. The attorney general is responsible for protecting the interests of the Crown and providing legal advice to the government. The justice minister, meanwhile, is charged with overseeing and developing legal policy governing areas such as criminal law, family law, and Indigenous justice.

Under a principle known as the Shawcross Doctrine, the attorney general is supposed to act independently on any prosecutorial decisions — something some legal experts say is complicated by the dual role.

The attorney general is allowed to consider the public interest in such decisions and can consult cabinet colleagues, but ultimately cannot be directed by them.

In her study, McLellan was also asked to “analyze the operating policies and practices across the Cabinet, and the role of public servants and political staff in their interactions” with the justice minister and attorney general.

Questions sent to Trudeau’s office by iPolitics this morning regarding the study were not immediately returned. A spokesperson for Trudeau’s office referred to the original press release in response to questions sent last week.

Wilson-Raybould told the House Justice Committee during her Feb. 27 testimony that “the two hats that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General wears here in our country are completely different.”

“I think there would be merit to talking about having those as two separate individuals, obviously after much discussion and study,” she said.

The SNC-Lavalin affair rocked the Liberal government for much of the winter and spring. The story of political pressure being placed on Wilson-Raybould was first reported by the Globe and Mail in February. Since then, the Liberals have sunk in the polls and Trudeau’s top adviser, Gerald Butts, resigned in the midst of the scandal.

In March the Liberal caucus booted Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott, who spoke out in support of Wilson-Raybould, from their ranks, they now sit as independents.

Trudeau has cited an “erosion of trust” in the SNC-Lavalin affair, but has maintained he did nothing inappropriate.