thumb|right|The Attorney General of Ontario's main office (McMurtry-Scott Building) in [[downtown Toronto]]
The Attorney General of Ontario is the chief legal adviser to His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario and, by extension, the Government of Ontario. The attorney general is a senior member of the Executive Council of Ontario, and oversees the Ministry of the Attorney General, which is the department responsible for the oversight of the justice system in the province of Ontario.
The attorney general is an elected Member of Provincial Parliament who is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario on the constitutional advice of the Premier of Ontario. Doug Downey was appointed attorney general of Ontario on 20 June 2019, replacing Caroline Mulroney. Most holders of the office have been practising lawyers, with the exception of Mulroney and Marion Boyd.
Authority
The attorney general has the authority to represent the provincial government in court personally, but this task is often delegated to crown attorneys, or to crown counsel in civil cases.
Responsibilities
The Ministry of the Attorney General delivers and administers a wide range of justice services, including:
- administering approximately 115 statutes;
- conducting criminal proceedings throughout Ontario;
- providing legal advice to, and conducting litigation on behalf of, all government ministries and many agencies, boards and tribunals;
- providing advice on, and drafting, all legislation and regulations; and
- coordinating and administering court services throughout Ontario.
The Ontario Crown Attorney's Office, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, the Office of the Children's Lawyer (formerly called the Official Guardian), and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) all fall within the Ministry's responsibilities. The Ministry also partially funds Legal Aid Ontario, which is administered by an independent board and also receives funding through the Law Foundation of Ontario and from the federal government.
Portfolios
In 2008, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (IPRD), now the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency, was established under the authority of the Attorney General, as a civilian body with powers invested through Public Inquiries Act to investigate complaints about municipal police forces and the Ontario Provincial Police.
Following the 2013 release of former Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci's report on the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Ontario justice system, a position of deputy attorney general with responsibility for Aboriginal issues was created.