Solicitor General of Canada facts for kids
The Solicitor General of Canada (French: solliciteur général du Canada) was an important job in the Canadian government from 1892 to 2005. This role was similar to a position in the British government. It was first created to help the Minister of Justice.
At first, the Solicitor General was not part of the main group of government leaders, called the Canadian Cabinet. But after 1917, the person in this job often joined the Cabinet meetings. In 1966, the role of Solicitor General was officially changed and given more power by a new law.
In its later years, the Solicitor General's department managed important things. These included Canada's prison system, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canada's national police force), and the National Parole Board. This board decides if prisoners can be released early. The department also looked after Canada's safety from within.
In 2003, the job title changed to Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. This new role had even more responsibilities. Finally, in 2005, the position of Solicitor General was officially ended.
Who Were the Solicitors General?
Many people held the job of Solicitor General over the years. Here is a list of the people who served in this role and when they were in office.
| Name | Prime Minister | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| John Joseph Curran* | Thompson | December 5, 1892 – December 12, 1894 |
| Mackenzie Bowell | December 21, 1894 – October 17, 1895 | |
| vacant | October 18, 1895 – April 27, 1896 | |
| Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper | Charles Tupper | May 1 – July 8, 1896 |
| Charles Fitzpatrick* | Wilfrid Laurier | July 13, 1896 – February 9, 1902 |
| Henry George Carroll* | February 10, 1902 – January 28, 1904 | |
| Rodolphe Lemieux* | January 29, 1904 – June 3, 1906 | |
| vacant | June 4, 1906 – February 13, 1907 | |
| Jacques Bureau* | February 14, 1907 – October 6, 1911 | |
| vacant | Robert Borden | October 10, 1911 – June 25, 1913 |
| Arthur Meighen* | June 26, 1913 – October 1, 1915 | |
| October 2, 1915 – August 24, 1917 | ||
| Arthur Meighen* (acting) | August 31 – October 3, 1917 | |
| Hugh Guthrie* | October 4, 1917 – July 4, 1919 | |
| July 5, 1919 – July 10, 1920 | ||
| Hugh Guthrie* (acting) | Arthur Meighen | July 10, 1920 – September 30, 1921 |
| Guillaume-André Fauteux | October 1, 1921 - December 28, 1921 | |
| Daniel Duncan McKenzie | William Lyon Mackenzie King | December 29, 1921 – April 10, 1923 |
| vacant | April 11 – November 13, 1923 | |
| Edward James McMurray | November 14, 1923 – May 22, 1925 | |
| vacant | May 23 – September 4, 1925 | |
| Lucien Cannon* | September 5, 1925 – June 28, 1926 | |
| vacant | Arthur Meighen | June 29 – August 22, 1926 |
| Guillaume André Fauteux | August 23 – September 25, 1926 | |
| Lucien Cannon (second time) | William Lyon Mackenzie King | September 25, 1926 – August 7, 1930 |
| Maurice Dupré | R.B. Bennett | August 8, 1930 – October 23, 1935 |
| vacant | William Lyon Mackenzie King | October 25, 1935 – April 17, 1945 |
| Joseph Jean | April 18, 1945 – November 15, 1948 | |
| Louis St. Laurent | November 15, 1948 – August 23, 1949 | |
| Hugues Lapointe | August 25, 1949 – August 6, 1950 | |
| Stuart Sinclair Garson | August 7, 1950 – October 14, 1952 | |
| Ralph Osborne Campney | October 15, 1952 – January 11, 1954 | |
| William Ross Macdonald | January 12, 1954 – June 21, 1957 | |
| Léon Balcer | John Diefenbaker | June 21, 1957 – October 10, 1960 |
| William Joseph Browne | October 11, 1957 – August 9, 1962 | |
| vacant | August 10, 1962 – April 22, 1963 | |
| John Watson MacNaught | Lester Pearson | April 22, 1963 – July 6, 1965 |
| Lawrence Pennell | July 7, 1965 – April 20, 1968 | |
| John Turner | Pierre Trudeau | April 20 – July 5, 1968 |
| George James McIlraith | July 6, 1968 – December 21, 1970 | |
| Jean-Pierre Goyer | December 22, 1970 – November 26, 1972 | |
| Warren Allmand | November 27, 1972 – September 13, 1976 | |
| Francis Fox | September 14, 1976 – January 27, 1978 | |
| Ron Basford (acting) | January 28 – February 1, 1978 | |
| Jean-Jacques Blais | February 2, 1978 – June 3, 1979 | |
| Allan Frederick Lawrence | Joe Clark | June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980 |
| Robert Phillip Kaplan | Pierre Trudeau | March 3, 1980 – June 29, 1984 |
| John Turner | June 30 – September 16, 1984 | |
| Elmer MacKay | Brian Mulroney | September 17, 1984 – August 19, 1985 |
| Perrin Beatty | August 20, 1985 – June 29, 1986 | |
| James Kelleher | June 30, 1986 – December 7, 1988 | |
| Perrin Beatty* (acting) | December 8, 1988 – January 29, 1989 | |
| Pierre Blais | January 30, 1989 – February 22, 1990 | |
| Pierre Cadieux | February 23, 1990 – April 20, 1991 | |
| Doug Lewis | April 21, 1991 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Kim Campbell | June 24 – November 3, 1993 | |
| Herb Gray | Jean Chrétien | November 4, 1993 – June 10, 1997 |
| Andy Scott | June 11, 1997 – November 23, 1998 | |
| Lawrence MacAulay | November 23, 1998 – October 22, 2002 | |
| Wayne Easter | October 22, 2002 – December 11, 2003 | |
| Anne McLellan as Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness |
Paul Martin | December 12, 2003 – March 23, 2005 |
(*) Not in Cabinet
