Yves Côté is a seasoned legal and public service leader who previously served as Commissioner of Canada Elections.
Mr. Côté began his career in 1977, when he enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces as a military legal officer within the Office of the Judge Advocate General. In 1981, he joined the Department of Justice Canada, where he served as legal advisor to various federal departments, including Health Canada and National Defence, and held increasingly senior roles, ultimately serving as Assistant Deputy Minister and Head of the Business and Regulatory Affairs Portfolio.
In 2003, Mr. Côté left the Department of Justice Canada for the Privy Council Office, where he was Counsel to the Clerk of the Privy Council as well as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet (Legislation and House Planning). He later served as Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces.
In 2008, Mr. Côté was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Justice, a role he held for four years until his appointment as Commissioner of Canada Elections. He served as Commissioner from 2012 to 2022. More recently, he was a senior policy advisor to the Public Order Emergency Commission (the Rouleau Commission) and an executive in residence at the University of Ottawa.
Mr. Côté holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from Université Laval and a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from the University of Ottawa. He has been a member of the Barreau du Québec since 1977 and was appointed King’s Counsel in 1992. He lives in Gatineau.