Attorney General of Ontario

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:

1. administering approximately 115 statutes;
2. conducting criminal proceedings throughout Ontario;
3. providing legal advice to, and conducting litigation on behalf of, all government ministries and many agencies, boards and tribunals;
4. providing advice on, and drafting, all legislation and regulations; and
5. coordinating and administering court services throughout Ontario.

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 20, 2011, the Attorney General of Ontario is the Honourable John Gerretsen.

Attorneys General have the authority to represent the provincial government in court personally but this task is almost always delegated to crown attorneys, 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.