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.
The post of Attorney General is the most senior legal official in New Brunswick and has existed since the creation of New Brunswick as a crown colony in 1784 and for much of contemporary history the Attorney General oversaw the Department of Justice carrying the dual title of Minister of Justice, as is currently the case.
From 2006 to 2012, the Office of the Attorney General was separated from the Department of Justice. On February 14, 2006 when Premier Bernard Lord restructured the cabinet, largely out of necessity, the basic functions of Attorney General were separated from the Justice Department so as to allow Brad Green, the only lawyer in his caucus, to take on a larger portfolio. The Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs was established taking over responsibility for "protection of the public interest" from the Attorney General. On October 3, 2006, Bernard Lord left office and was replaced as Premier by Shawn Graham. Graham named T.J. Burke to be 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. A subsequent bill was introduced on December 19, 2007 specifying the role of the Office of the Attorney General as a separate department.
However, the subsequent premier, David Alward, remerged the two departments into the Department of Justice and Attorney General in 2012. Alward again separated these roles in 2013, when Ted Flemming was named attorney general, with Troy Lifford becoming minister of justice.
Attorneys General
| Minister | Term |
|---|---|
| Ward Chipman (acting) |
November, 1784 - May 15, 1785 |
| Jonathan Bliss | February 2, 1785 (appointed) - June 28, 1809 (assumed office May 16) |
| Thomas Wetmore | July 26, 1809 - March 22, 1828 |
| Robert Parker (acting) |
March 1828 - September 7, 1828 |
| Charles Jeffery Peters | September 7, 1828 - February 3, 1848 |
| Lemuel Allan Wilmot | July 23, 1848 - January 8, 1851 |
| J. A. Street | January 10, 1851 - November 1, 1854 |
| Charles Fisher | November 1, 1854 - May 1856 |
| John Hamilton Gray | June 21, 1856 - June 1857 |
| Charles Fisher (2nd time) |
June 1, 1857 - May 27, 1861? |
| A. J. Smith | April 27, 1861 - October 10, 1862 |
| J. M. Johnson | 1862-1865 |
| J. C. Allen | April 1865 - September 21, 1865 |
| A. J. Smith (2nd time) |
September 21, 1865 - April 14, 1866 |
| Charles Fisher (3rd time) |
April 14, 1866 - September 1867 |
| A.R. Wetmore | September 25, 1867 - May 25, 1870 |
| George E. King | May 25, 1870 - May 3, 1878 |
| J. J. Fraser | June 1878 - May 23, 1882 |
| E. McLeod | May 23, 1882 - February 26, 1883 |
| A.G. Blair | March 3, 1883 - July 17, 1896 |
| James Mitchell | July 17, 1896 - October 29, 1897 |
| A. S. White | November 3, 1897 - 1899 |
| H. R. Emmerson | February 1900 - August 31, 1900 |
| William Pugsley | September 1, 1900 - May 31, 1907 |
| C. W. Robinson | May 31, 1907 - October 28, 1907 |
| H. A. McKeown | October 28, 1907 - March 24, 1908 |
| J. D. Hazen | March 24, 1908 - October 10, 1911 |
| W.C.H. Grimmer | October 16, 1911 - January 22, 1914? |
| George J. Clarke | January 22, 1914 - December 17, 1914 |
| J. B. M. Baxter | December 17, 1914 - April 4, 1917? |
| J. P. Byrne | April 4, 1917 - October 4, 1924? |
| I. C. Rand | October 4, 1924 - September 10, 1925 |
| J.B.M. Baxter (2nd time) |
September 10, 1925 - May 18, 1931 |
| C. D. Richards | May 18, 1931 - 1933 |
| W. H. Harrison | 1933 - July 16, 1935 |
| John B. McNair | July 16, 1935 – March 13, 1940 |
| John B. McNair (cont'd) | March 13, 1940 - October 8, 1952 |
| William J. West | October 8, 1952 – October 17, 1958 |
| R. G. L. Fairweather | October 17, 1958 – July 12, 1960 |
| Louis Robichaud | July 12, 1960 – May 13, 1965 |
| Wendell W. Meldrum | May 13, 1965 – April 5, 1966 |
| Bernard A. Jean | April 6, 1966 – November 12, 1970 |
| John B. M. Baxter, Jr. | November 12, 1970 – December 3, 1974 |
| Paul Creaghan | December 3, 1974 – March 16, 1977 |
| Rodman Logan | March 22, 1977 – October 30, 1982 |
| Fernand G. Dubé | October 30, 1982 – October 3, 1985 |
| David Clark | October 3, 1985 – October 27, 1987 |
| James E. Lockyer | October 27, 1987 – October 9, 1991 |
| Edmond Blanchard | October 9, 1991 – September 26, 1995 |
| Paul Duffie | September 26, 1995 – March 20, 1997 |
| Bernard Richard (acting) |
March 20, 1997 – July 23, 1997 |
| James E. Lockyer (2nd time) |
July 23, 1997 – May 14, 1998 |
| Greg Byrne | May 14, 1998 – June 21, 1999 |
| Brad Green | June 27, 1999[1] – October 3, 2006 |
| Thomas J. Burke | October 3, 2006 – June 22, 2009 |
| Michael Murphy | June 22, 2009 - January 4, 2010 |
| Kelly Lamrock | January 4, 2010 - September 26, 2010 |
| Marie-Claude Blais | October 12, 2010 – September 23, 2013 |
| Hugh (Ted) Flemming | September 23, 2013 – October 7, 2014 |
| Serge Rousselle | October 7, 2014 – present |
References
- ↑ From June 27, 1999, to February 14, 2006, Green was also Minister of Justice, after which he became Minister of Health.
- List of ministers and deputy ministers by department, New Brunswick Legislative Library (pdf)
- The Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online