Ms. Heafey was appointed Director of Appeal/Complaints at the newly-formed Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC), a civilian agency that oversees the activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Ms. Heafey was primarily responsible for conducting investigations on matters of national security. Ms. Heafey graduated with a law degree from the University of Ottawa Law School. She also studied Islamic Law and Administrative Law at Harvard Law school, and received certificates in Advanced Negotiation and Mediation from Harvard. In 1993, she established her own law firm, concentrating on administrative law, employment law, and human rights.

Ms. Heafey was appointed as a member of Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP presiding over quasi-judicial hearings inquiring into public complaints about police conduct. In addition to presiding over sweeping changes in the structure and operation of the Commission, she has instituted the largest and most far-reaching public interest hearing and public interest investigation in the Commission's history. Ms. Heafey made two sets of significant submissions to Mr. Justice O'Connor's enquiry into the Maher Arar matter. As Chair, she has traveled extensively across Canada to promote understanding, and to enhance public awareness of the Commission's important role. Ms. Heafey completed her 8-year term as Chair of the Complaints Commission in October 2005.

Ms. Heafey was also a part-time Assistant City Solicitor (Ottawa) conducting litigation and defending challenges to municipal laws based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, appointed Chair of City of Gloucester Task Force reporting on Remuneration of Elected Representatives and appointeded as member of the Evaluation Committee for the Action 21 Program at Environment Canada.