Attorney General of Ontario
Encyclopedia
The Attorney General
of Ontario
is a senior member of the Executive Council of Ontario
(or cabinet
) and governs the Ministry of the Attorney General
of Ontario
- the department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province. The Attorney General is an elected Member of Provincial Parliament who is chosen by the premier
and appointed by the lieutenant-governor. The Ministry's goal is to provide a fair and accessible justice system which reflects the needs of the diverse communities it serves across government and the province. It strives to manage the justice system in an equitable, affordable and accessible way throughout the province.
The Ministry delivers and administers a wide range of justice services including:
The Ontario Crown Attorney's Office
, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, the Children's Lawyer (formerly called the Official Guardian), and the Special Investigations Unit
(SIU) all fall within MAG's responsibilities. The Ministry also funds Legal Aid Ontario
which is administered by an independent Board.
As of October 30, 2007, the Attorney General of Ontario is the Honourable Chris Bentley
.
Attorneys General have the authority to represent the provincial government in court personally but this task is almost always delegated to crown attorney
s, or to Crown Counsel in civil cases. Ian Scott, who was a prominent courtroom lawyer prior to entering politics, chose to plead the crown's case in court for several cases related to constitutional law
.
After 1867, the AG was split into a federal and provincial counterparts:
* As Premier
** Conant remained Attorney-General when he served as Premier of Ontario from October 21, 1942 until May 18, 1943 when he resigned from both positions.
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
is a senior member of the Executive Council of Ontario
Executive Council of Ontario
The Executive Council of Ontario plays an important role in theGovernment of Ontario, in accordance with the Westminster system....
(or cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
) and governs the Ministry of the Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- the department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province. The Attorney General is an elected Member of Provincial Parliament who is chosen by the premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
and appointed by the lieutenant-governor. The Ministry's goal is to provide a fair and accessible justice system which reflects the needs of the diverse communities it serves across government and the province. It strives to manage the justice system in an equitable, affordable and accessible way throughout the province.
The Ministry delivers and administers a wide range of justice services including:
- administering approximately 115 statuteStatuteA statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s; - conducting criminal proceedings throughout OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
; - providing legal advice to, and conducting litigation on behalf of, all government ministries and many agencies, boards and tribunals;
- providing advice on, and drafting, all legislation and regulations; and
- coordinating and administering court services throughout Ontario.
The Ontario Crown Attorney's Office
Crown Attorney's Office (Ontario)
The term Crown Attorney's Office is the title for the various public prosecution offices under the jurisdiction of the province of Ontario. Each Ontario Superior Court of Justice has its own Crown Attorney's Office, which conducts all criminal trial prosecutions and summary conviction appeals for...
, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, the Children's Lawyer (formerly called the Official Guardian), and the Special Investigations Unit
Special Investigations Unit
The Special Investigations Unit of Ontario, Canada, is a civilian agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. However all full-time SIU investigators are former law enforcement...
(SIU) all fall within MAG's responsibilities. The Ministry also funds Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario is a publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation, responsible for administering the legal aid program in the province of Ontario, Canada...
which is administered by an independent Board.
As of October 30, 2007, the Attorney General of Ontario is the Honourable Chris Bentley
Christopher Bentley
Christopher "Chris" Bentley is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and is the province's Attorney General in the Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Academic endeavours:...
.
Attorneys General have the authority to represent the provincial government in court personally but this task is almost always delegated to crown attorney
Crown attorney
Crown Attorneys or Crown Counsel are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada.Crown Attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code of Canada...
s, or to Crown Counsel in civil cases. Ian Scott, who was a prominent courtroom lawyer prior to entering politics, chose to plead the crown's case in court for several cases related to constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
.
List of Attorneys-General of Upper Canada
- John White (Frontenac County)John White (Frontenac County)John White was a lawyer and politician in Upper Canada. He was the first attorney general for Upper Canada....
1791-1800 - Robert Isaac Dey GrayRobert Isaac Dey GrayRobert Isaac Dey Gray was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was probably born in New York, but came to Canada with his parents at the beginning of the American Revolution. He studied law and was called to the bar in 1794. In 1795, he became Solicitor General for the province...
1800-1801 - Thomas ScottThomas Scott (judge)Thomas Scott was a judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in the parish of Kingoldrum, Angus, Scotland and studied law at Lincoln's Inn in London. He was called to the bar in 1793. In 1800, he was appointed attorney general in Upper Canada. He was appointed to the Executive Council...
1801-1806 - William FirthWilliam FirthThe Hon. William Firth was a Canadian lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.Son of merchant William Firth and his wife Elizabeth, Firth studied law and became a barrister. He married Anne Watts, and they had five children. Firth wrote four political pamphlets between 1794 and 1825,...
1807-1812 - G. D'Arcy Boulton 1814-1818
- Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of TorontoSir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of TorontoSir John Beverley Robinson, 1st Baronet CB, was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.Robinson was born in 1791 at Berthier, Lower Canada, the son of Christopher Robinson, a United Empire Loyalist of one of the First Families of Virginia, whose grandfather came there in 1641 as...
1818-1829; acting AG 1812-1814 - Henry John BoultonHenry John BoultonHenry John Boulton, QC was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born at Little Holland House, Kensington, England, the son of D’Arcy Boulton, in 1790. Some time later, the family settled in New York state and then moved to Upper Canada around 1800. He studied law at York ...
1829-1832 - Robert Sympson JamesonRobert Sympson JamesonRobert Sympson Jameson was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Hampshire England in 1796 and educated in Ambleside. He studied law at the Middle Temple and was called to the English bar in 1823. He practiced in London. He married Anna Murphy, a British author, in 1825...
1833-1837 - last British appointed AG - Christopher Alexander HagermanChristopher Alexander HagermanLt.-Col The Hon. Christopher Alexander Hagerman was a Canadian militia officer, politician, and judge.Known as 'Handsome Kit', he was born at the Bay of Quinte, Adolphustown, the son of United Empire Loyalist Major Nicholas Hagerman J.P., and his wife Anne , sister of Judge Alexander Fisher M.P.,...
1837-1840 - first Canadian born AG of Upper Canada - William Henry DraperWilliam Henry DraperWilliam Henry Draper was a lawyer, judge, and politician in Upper Canada later Canada West.-Personal life:...
1840-1841 - last AG of Upper Canada
List of Attorneys-General of the Province of Canada (Canada West)
In 1841 the AG replaced the role of AG of Upper Canada:- William Henry DraperWilliam Henry DraperWilliam Henry Draper was a lawyer, judge, and politician in Upper Canada later Canada West.-Personal life:...
1841-1843 - Robert BaldwinRobert BaldwinRobert Baldwin was born at York . He, along with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, led the first responsible ministry in Canada, regarded by some as the first truly Canadian government....
1843-1848 - William Buell RichardsWilliam Buell RichardsSir William Buell Richards, PC, Kt was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.Richards was born in Brockville, Upper Canada to Stephen Richards and Phoebe Buell. He earned law degree at the St. Lawrence Academy in Potsdam, New York and then articled with his uncle Andrew Norton...
1848-1854 - John A. MacdonaldJohn A. MacdonaldSir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
1854-1862, 1864–1867 - John Sandfield MacdonaldJohn Sandfield MacdonaldJohn Sandfield Macdonald, QC was the first Premier of the province of Ontario, one of the four founding provinces created at the confederation of Canada in 1867...
1862-1864
After 1867, the AG was split into a federal and provincial counterparts:
- Attorney General of Ontario
- Attorney General of Canada
List of Attorneys-General of Ontario
- John Sandfield MacDonaldJohn Sandfield MacdonaldJohn Sandfield Macdonald, QC was the first Premier of the province of Ontario, one of the four founding provinces created at the confederation of Canada in 1867...
*, coalition, 1867–1871 - Adam Crooks, LiberalOntario Liberal PartyThe Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
, 1871–1872 - Oliver MowatOliver MowatSir Oliver Mowat, was a Canadian politician, and the third Premier of Ontario from 1872 to 1896, making him the longest serving premier of that province and the 3rd longest in all of Canadian history...
*, Liberal, 1872–1896 - Arthur S. HardyArthur Sturgis HardyArthur Sturgis Hardy, QC was a lawyer and Liberal politician who served as the fourth Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1896 to 1899. On January 19, 1870 he married Mary Morrison, daughter of Judge Joseph Curran Morrison.Hardy attended school at the Rockwood Academy in Rockwood, Ontario...
*, Liberal, 1896–1899 - John Morison GibsonJohn Morison GibsonSir John Morison Gibson, KCMG, KC was a Canadian politician and the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario....
, Liberal, 1899–1904 - Francis Robert LatchfordFrancis Robert LatchfordFrancis Robert Latchford was an Ontario lawyer, judge and political figure. He represented Renfrew South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1899 to 1904 as a Liberal member....
, Liberal, 1904–1905 - James WhitneyJames WhitneySir James Pliny Whitney, KCMG was a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. Whitney was a lawyer in eastern Ontario, Conservative member for Dundas from 1888 to 1914, and the sixth Premier of Ontario from 1905 to 1914.- Early life :Whitney was born in Williamsburgh Township in 1843 and...
*, ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
, 1905 - James Joseph FoyJames Joseph FoyJames Joseph Foy was an Ontario lawyer and political figure. He represented Toronto South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member from 1898 to 1916....
, Conservative, 1905–1914 - Isaac Benson LucasIsaac Benson LucasIsaac Benson Lucas was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as a Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Grey Centre from 1898 to 1919....
, Conservative, 1914–1919 - William RaneyWilliam RaneyWilliam Edgar Raney, K.C. was a lawyer, politician and judge in Ontario, Canada, in the early twentieth century.-Background and early career:...
, United FarmersUnited Farmers of OntarioThe United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
, 1919–1923 - William Folger NickleWilliam Folger NickleWilliam Folger Nickle KC was a Canadian politician who served both as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and in the Ontario legislature where he rose to the position of Attorney-General of Ontario...
, Conservative, 1923–1926 - William Herbert PriceWilliam Herbert PriceWilliam Herbert Price was Ontario MLA for Parkdale from 1914 to 1937. He was Attorney General of Ontario from 1926 to 1934 and Treasurer from 1923 to 1926....
, Conservative, 1926–1934 - Arthur RoebuckArthur RoebuckArthur Wentworth Roebuck, QC, was a Canadian politician and labour lawyer.Roebuck ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1917 federal election as a Laurier Liberal, but was defeated. He was involved with the United Farmers of Ontario and its successor, the Progressive Party, in the...
, Liberal, 1934–1937 - Gordon Conant**, Liberal, 1937–1943
- Eric Cross, Liberal, 1943
- Leslie BlackwellLeslie BlackwellLeslie Egerton Blackwell was a Canadian politician.A graduate of Osgoode Law School, Blackwell was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 1943 election that brought George Drew's Ontario Progressive Conservative Party to power with a minority government...
, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
, 1943–1949 - Dana PorterDana PorterDana Harris Porter was a Canadian politician and jurist.After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1921, Porter went to England to continue his studies at Balliol College, Oxford from which he graduated with a Master's degree in 1923...
, Progressive Conservative, 1949–1955 - Kelso RobertsKelso RobertsArchibald Kelso Roberts was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as the Member of Provincial Parliament for the Toronto riding of St...
, Progressive Conservative, 1955–1962 - Fred Cass, Progressive Conservative, 1962–1964
- Arthur WishartArthur WishartArthur Allison Wishart, CM was a politician and cabinet minister in Ontario, Canada.Born in New Brunswick, Wishart got his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1930, and then practised in Windsor and Blind River. He served as mayor of Blind River before moving to Sault Ste. Marie in 1939...
, Progressive Conservative, 1964–1971 - Allan Lawrence, Progressive Conservative, 1971–1972
- Dalton BalesDalton BalesDalton Arthur Bales was an Ontario cabinet minister and lawyer.Bales joined the Toronto law firm of McLaughlin, Soward in 1946 while he was a law student. He was called to the bar in 1949 and eventually became partner....
, Progressive Conservative, 1972-1974 - Robert Stanley WelchRobert Stanley WelchRobert Stanley Kemp "Bob" Welch, OC was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1985 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of John Robarts, Bill Davis and Frank Miller.-Early life:Welch was...
, Progressive Conservative, 1974–1975 - John ClementJohn ClementJohn Twining Clement was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament in the 1970s for the riding of Niagara Falls, and served a brief stint as Attorney General and Solicitor General of Ontario in 1975 in the cabinet of Premier William G...
, Progressive Conservative, 1975 - Roy McMurtryRoy McMurtryRoland "Roy" McMurtry, OC, OOnt is a judge and former politician in Ontario, Canada and the current Chancellor of York University.-Early life:McMurtry was born in Toronto and educated at St. Andrew's College, graduating in 1950...
, Progressive Conservative, 1975–1985 - Alan PopeAlan PopeAlan William Pope is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1990, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller.-Early years:Pope was raised in Northern Ontario, and...
, Progressive Conservative, 1985-1985 - Ian Scott, Liberal, 1985–1990
- Howard HamptonHoward HamptonHoward George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
, New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
, 1990–1993 - Marion BoydMarion BoydMarion Boyd is a former Canadian politician, who represented the riding of London Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1999 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party.-Background:...
, New Democratic Party, 1993–1995 - Charles Harnick, Progressive Conservative, 1995–1999
- Jim FlahertyJim FlahertyJames Michael "Jim" Flaherty, PC, MP is Canada's Minister of Finance and he has also served as Ontario's Minister of Finance. From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus...
, Progressive Conservative, 1999–2001 - David YoungDavid Young (Ontario politician)David Young was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves....
, Progressive Conservative, 2001–2003 - Michael J. BryantMichael Bryant (politician)Michael J. Bryant is former public administrator and former politician in Ontario, Canada. A Harvard-trained lawyer, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the electoral district of St. Paul's for the Ontario Liberal Party from 1999 until 2009...
, Liberal, 2003–2007 - Christopher BentleyChristopher BentleyChristopher "Chris" Bentley is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and is the province's Attorney General in the Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Academic endeavours:...
, Liberal, 2007–2011 - John GerretsenJohn GerretsenJohn Philip Gerretsen is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and a Minister in the Cabinet of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Early life:...
, Liberal, 2011-