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. Loyalist Jonathan Bliss served as the first attorney general, beginning in the late eighteenth century.
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
MinisterTermWard Chipman (acting)November, 1784 – May 15, 1785Jonathan BlissFebruary 2, 1785 (appointed) – June 28, 1809(assumed office May 16)Thomas WetmoreJuly 26, 1809 – March 22, 1828Robert Parker (acting)March 1828 – September 7, 1828Charles Jeffery PetersSeptember 7, 1828 – February 3, 1848Lemuel Allan WilmotJuly 23, 1848 – January 8, 1851J. A. StreetJanuary 10, 1851 – November 1, 1854Charles FisherNovember 1, 1854 – May 1856John Hamilton GrayJune 21, 1856 – June 1857Charles Fisher (2nd time)June 1, 1857 – May 27, 1861?A. J. SmithApril 27, 1861 – October 10, 1862J. M. Johnson1862–1865J. C. AllenApril 1865 – September 21, 1865A. J. Smith (2nd time)September 21, 1865 – April 14, 1866Charles Fisher (3rd time)April 14, 1866 – September 1867A.R. WetmoreSeptember 25, 1867 – May 25, 1870George E. KingMay 25, 1870 – May 3, 1878J. J. FraserJune 1878 – May 23, 1882E. McLeodMay 23, 1882 – February 26, 1883A.G. BlairMarch 3, 1883 – July 17, 1896James MitchellJuly 17, 1896 – October 29, 1897A. S. WhiteNovember 3, 1897 – 1899H. R. EmmersonFebruary 1900 – August 31, 1900William PugsleySeptember 1, 1900 – May 31, 1907C. W. RobinsonMay 31, 1907 – October 28, 1907H. A. McKeownOctober 28, 1907 – March 24, 1908J. D. HazenMarch 24, 1908 – October 10, 1911W.C.H. GrimmerOctober 16, 1911 – January 22, 1914?George J. ClarkeJanuary 22, 1914 – December 17, 1914J. B. M. BaxterDecember 17, 1914 – April 4, 1917?J. P. ByrneApril 4, 1917 – October 4, 1924?I. C. RandOctober 4, 1924 – September 10, 1925J.B.M. Baxter (2nd time)September 10, 1925 – May 18, 1931C. D. RichardsMay 18, 1931 – 1933W. H. Harrison1933 – July 16, 1935John B. McNairJuly 16, 1935 – March 13, 1940John B. McNair (cont'd)March 13, 1940 – October 8, 1952William J. WestOctober 8, 1952 – October 17, 1958R. G. L. FairweatherOctober 17, 1958 – July 12, 1960Louis RobichaudJuly 12, 1960 – May 13, 1965Wendell W. MeldrumMay 13, 1965 – April 5, 1966Bernard A. JeanApril 6, 1966 – November 12, 1970John B. M. Baxter, Jr.November 12, 1970 – December 3, 1974Paul CreaghanDecember 3, 1974 – March 16, 1977Rodman LoganMarch 22, 1977 – October 30, 1982Fernand G. DubéOctober 30, 1982 – October 3, 1985David ClarkOctober 3, 1985 – October 27, 1987James E. LockyerOctober 27, 1987 – October 9, 1991Edmond BlanchardOctober 9, 1991 – September 26, 1995Paul DuffieSeptember 26, 1995 – March 20, 1997Bernard Richard (acting)March 20, 1997 – July 23, 1997James E. Lockyer (2nd time)July 23, 1997 – May 14, 1998Greg ByrneMay 14, 1998 – June 21, 1999Brad GreenJune 27, 1999From June 27, 1999, to February 14, 2006, Green was also Minister of Justice, after which he became Minister of Health. – October 3, 2006Thomas J. BurkeOctober 3, 2006 – June 22, 2009Michael MurphyJune 22, 2009 – January 4, 2010Kelly LamrockJanuary 4, 2010 – September 26, 2010Marie-Claude BlaisOctober 12, 2010 – September 23, 2013Hugh (Ted) FlemmingSeptember 23, 2013 – October 7, 2014Serge RousselleOctober 7, 2014 – May 11, 2018Brian GallantMay 11, 2018 – November 9, 2018Andrea Anderson-MasonNovember 9, 2018 – September 29, 2020Hugh (Ted) Flemming (2nd time)September 29, 2020 – November 2, 2024Rob McKeeNovember 2, 2024–present
References
List of ministers and deputy ministers by department, New Brunswick Legislative Library (pdf) The Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
External links Office of the Attorney General