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. However this was changed 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.[1]
| Minister | Term |
|---|---|
| Jonathan Bliss | February 2, 1784 - 1809? |
| Ward Chipman (acting) |
November, 1784 - May 15, 1785 |
| Thomas Wetmore | July 26, 1809 - March 22, 1828 |
| Robert Parker (acting) |
1828 |
| Charles Jeffery Peters | September 7, 1828 - February 3, 1848 |
| Lemuel Allan Wilmot | 1848 - January 8, 1851 |
| J. A. Street | January 10, 1851 - November 1, 1854 |
| Charles Fisher | November 1, 1854 - May 27, 1861 |
| John Hamilton Gray | June 21, 1856 - June 1857 |
| A. J. Smith | April 27, 1861 - October 10, 1862 |
| J. C. Allen | April 1865 - September 21, 1865 |
| A. J. Smith (2nd time) |
September 21, 1865 - April 14, 1866 |
| A.R. Wetmore | September 25, 1867 - May 25, 1870 |
| George E. King | May 25, 1870 - February 21, 1871 |
| 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 |
| John 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? |
| 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 S. 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* – October 3, 2006 |
| Thomas J. Burke | October 3, 2006 – October 12, 2010 |
| Marie-Claude Blais | October 12, 2010 – present |
* From June 27, 1999 to February 14, 2006 Green was also Minister of Justice, after which he became Minister of Health.