The Department

Ministry (government department)

A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...

 of Justice and Consumer Affairs is a part of the Government of New Brunswick

Government of New Brunswick

The Government of New Brunswick refers to the provincial government of the province of New Brunswick. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....

. It is charged with the protection of the public interest and, as such, oversees the insurance industry, financial institutions, pensions and rental housing.

The department was established on February 14, 2006 when Premier

Premier of New Brunswick

The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....

 Bernard Lord

Bernard Lord

Bernard Lord, ONB, QC, is a Canadian politician and lobbyist. Lord served as the 30th Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...

 restructured government. It was created out of necessity as Lord wanted to appoint Brad Green

Brad Green (politician)

Bradley V. Green, QC is a Canadian lawyer, judge and a former politician in the Province of New Brunswick....

, the only lawyer in his caucus

Caucus

A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...

, as Minister of Health

Department of Health (New Brunswick)

The Department of Health is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with administration and delivery of public healthcare in New Brunswick.- History :...

. In order to facilitate this the Office of the Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General (New Brunswick)

The Office of the Attorney General is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged providing legal services to all departments and agencies of the government....

, which Green continued to occupy as Health Minister, was severed from the Department of Justice

Department of Justice (New Brunswick)

The Department of Justice in New Brunswick, a Canadian province was one of the longest running departments in the New Brunswick government. Traditionally headed by the Attorney General, the department was significantly altered on February 14, 2006....

 which was in turn renamed the Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs.

On October 3, 2006, new Premier Shawn Graham

Shawn Graham

Shawn Michael Graham, MLA is a New Brunswick politician, who served as the 31st Premier of New Brunswick. He received a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree in 1991 and a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1993, he worked for New Brunswick's civil service before being elected to the Legislative...

 named T. J. Burke

T. J. Burke

Thomas James "T.J." Burke QC is a New Brunswick lawyer and politician. Burke was the first Aboriginal who hails from Tobique First Nation selected to a legislature anywhere in Atlantic Canada. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 2003 and was a member of the cabinet...

 as both Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Consumer Affairs, however in legislation to realign government departments passed on March 2, 2007 the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs remained separate entities.

Ministers

#	Minister	Term	Administration
1.	Ralph Bruce Fitch	February 14, 2006 – October 3, 2006	under Bernard Lord Bernard Lord Bernard Lord, ONB, QC, is a Canadian politician and lobbyist. Lord served as the 30th Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...
2.	T. J. Burke T. J. Burke Thomas James "T.J." Burke QC is a New Brunswick lawyer and politician. Burke was the first Aboriginal who hails from Tobique First Nation selected to a legislature anywhere in Atlantic Canada. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 2003 and was a member of the cabinet... *	October 3, 2006 – October 12, 2010	under Shawn Graham Shawn Graham Shawn Michael Graham, MLA is a New Brunswick politician, who served as the 31st Premier of New Brunswick. He received a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree in 1991 and a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1993, he worked for New Brunswick's civil service before being elected to the Legislative...
3.	Marie-Claude Blais Marie-Claude Blais Marie-Claude Blais is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Moncton North as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.- Biography:... *	October 12, 2010 – present	under David Alward David Alward David Nathan Alward is a Canadian politician, the 32nd and current Premier of New Brunswick.Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick since 2008...

* Burke and Blais each served jointly as Minister of Justice and Consumer Affairs and Attorney General of New Brunswick.