Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada
Incumbent Arif Virani since July 26, 2023
Department of Justice
Style	The Honourable
Abbreviation	MoJAG
Member of	Parliament Privy Council Cabinet
Reports to	Parliament Prime Minister
Appointer	Monarch (represented by the governor general); on the advice of the prime minister
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Sir John A. Macdonald
Formation	July 1, 1867
Salary	CA$269,800 (2019)

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada is a very important job in the Canadian government. This person holds two main roles at the same time. They are a key member of the Canadian Cabinet, which is like the main team of advisors to the Prime Minister.

In their role as the Minister of Justice, they are in charge of the Department of Justice. This department helps make sure Canada's laws are fair and work well. The Minister of Justice looks at new laws and how they affect people.

As the Attorney General, this person is the government's chief lawyer. They give legal advice to the Government of Canada. They also represent the government in court. Most of the daily court cases are handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, but the Attorney General is still the top legal officer.

What Does the Attorney General Do?
Recent Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General
Images for kids
See also

What Does the Attorney General Do?

The job of Attorney General was created in 1867. This was when Canada first became a country. It replaced similar roles in older parts of Canada.

Chief Legal Officer

The Attorney General is like the top lawyer for the Canadian government. They make sure that the government follows the law. They also represent the government in legal matters. This role is separate from the Minister of Justice, but the same person usually holds both jobs.

The Minister of Justice focuses on how laws affect society. The Attorney General makes sure the government acts legally. These two roles have been together since Canada started. There was a review to see if they should be separated. But the recommendation was to keep them combined.

Who Can Be the Attorney General?

Usually, the person chosen for this job has a legal background. This means they have studied law. However, there have been a few times when someone without a full law degree held the position.

Many people who became Prime Minister of Canada once held this job. This shows how important the role is. Some famous examples include John Sparrow David Thompson, Louis St. Laurent, and Pierre Trudeau. This job is one of the oldest in the Canadian government. It has not changed much since 1867.

Justice and Public Safety

It is important to know that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General is different from the Minister of Public Safety. The Minister of Public Safety is in charge of things like the police, prisons, and national security. The Minister of Justice focuses on the laws themselves and the justice system.

Recent Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General

This table shows some of the people who have held this important job.

Key:

Liberal Party of Canada Historical conservative parties: Liberal-Conservative, Conservative (historical), Unionist, National Liberal and Conservative, Progressive Conservative Conservative Party of Canada

No.	Name	Term of office		Political party	Ministry
1	Sir John A. Macdonald	July 1, 1867	November 5, 1873	Liberal-Conservative	1 (Macdonald)
51	Jody Wilson-Raybould	November 4, 2015	January 14, 2019	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
52	David Lametti	January 14, 2019	July 26, 2023	Liberal
53	Arif Virani	July 26, 2023	Incumbent	Liberal