Attorney General of British Columbia
{{Short description|British Columbia cabinet minister}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Attorney General of British Columbia
| image = Niki Sharma, BC NDP candidate for Vancouver-Hastings (54004752208) (cropped).jpg
| incumbent = Niki Sharma
| body =
| incumbentsince = December 7, 2022
| formation = 1859
| first = George Hunter Cary
| nominator = Premier of British Columbia
| appointer = Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
| member_of = {{ubl|Executive Council of British Columbia|King's Counsel}}
}}
The attorney general of British Columbia (AG) oversees the Ministry of Attorney General, a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system, within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The attorney general is a member of the provincial cabinet, typically a member of Legislative Assembly who is chosen by the premier of British Columbia and formally appointed by the lieutenant governor of British Columbia.
The attorney general is responsible for ensuring that public administration is conducted according to the law and as such, they are the chief advisor of law to the government, in addition to overseeing the court system and Sheriff Service.{{Cite web |last=Ministry of Attorney General |date=2023-02-28 |title=Attorney General - Province of British Columbia |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/justice-attorney-general |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726214855/https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/justice-attorney-general |archive-date=2023-07-26 |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=www2.gov.bc.ca |publisher=Government of British Columbia |place=Victoria}} Under the King's Counsel Act, the attorney general is automatically appointed a King's Counsel upon swearing into office.{{cite canlaw |short title=King's Counsel Act |abbr=RSBC |year=1996 |chapter=393 |section=1 |type=statute |link=https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96393_01 |linkloc=BC Laws}} The attorney general also serves as an ex officio bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia. A separate cabinet position, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, administers the province's law enforcement agencies (police, prisons and security).
Since December 7, 2022, the post has been held by Niki Sharma.
List of attorneys general of the Colony of British Columbia
- George Hunter Cary; 1859–1861
- Henry Pering Pellew Crease; 1861–1870
- George Phillippo; 1870–1871
List of attorneys general of the province of British Columbia
| class="wikitable"
|+List of ministers !Minister !Term start !Term end !Political party !Ministry |
| Edward Graham Alston
|August 17, 1871 |August 22, 1871 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| rowspan="2" |John Foster McCreight
|August 22, 1871 |November 13, 1871 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |Interim |
| November 14, 1871
|December 23, 1872 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| rowspan="2" |George Anthony Walkem
|December 23, 1872 |February 9, 1874 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| February 11, 1874
|January 27, 1876 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| Andrew Charles Elliott
|February 1, 1876 |June 25, 1878 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| George Anthony Walkem
|June 25, 1878 |June 6, 1882 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| John Roland Hett
|June 13, 1882 |January 29, 1883 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| rowspan="2" |Alexander Edmund Batson Davie
|January 29, 1883 |March 28, 1887 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| April 1, 1887
|August 1, 1889 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| rowspan="2" |Theodore Davie
|August 3, 1889 |June 29, 1892 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| July 2, 1892
|March 2, 1895 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| David McEwen Eberts
|March 4, 1895 |August 8, 1898 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| Joseph Martin
|August 15, 1898 |July 27, 1899 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} | rowspan="2" |Semlin |
| Alexander Henderson
|August 7, 1899 |February 27, 1900 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| Joseph Martin
|February 28, 1900 |June 14, 1900 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| rowspan="2" |David McEwen Eberts
|June 15, 1900 |November 21, 1900 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| November 25, 1902
|May 27, 1903 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Non-partisan|name}} |
| Albert Edward McPhillips
|June 4, 1903 |November 5, 1903 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Conservative|colour&name}} | rowspan="4" |McBride |
| Charles Wilson
|November 5, 1903 |March 15, 1906 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Conservative|colour&name}} |
| Frederick John Fulton
|March 15, 1906 |July 24, 1907 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Conservative|colour&name}} |
| rowspan="2" |William John Bowser
|July 24, 1907 |December 15, 1915 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Conservative|colour&name}} |
| December 15, 1915
|November 23, 1916 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Conservative|colour&name}} |
| Malcolm Archibald Macdonald
|November 29, 1916 |May 14, 1917 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| rowspan="2" |John Wallace de Beque Farris
|May 14, 1917 |March 1, 1918 | rowspan="2" |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |Brewster |
| March 6, 1918
|January 28, 1922 |
| rowspan="2" |Alexander Malcolm Manson
|January 28, 1922 |August 17, 1927 | rowspan="2" |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |Oliver |
| August 20, 1927
|August 20, 1928 |
| Robert Henry Pooley
|August 21, 1928 |November 15, 1933 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Conservative|colour&name}} |
| Gordon McGregor Sloan
|November 15, 1933 |April 5, 1937 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} | rowspan="5" |Pattullo |
| Duff Pattullo
|April 5, 1937 |July 5, 1937 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| Gordon Sylvester Wismer
|July 5, 1937 |November 14, 1941 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| Norman William Whittaker
|November 14, 1941 |November 19, 1941 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| Duff Pattullo
|November 24, 1941 |December 9, 1941 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| Royal Maitland
|December 10, 1941 |March 28, 1946 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Conservative|colour&name}} |Hart |
| rowspan="2" |Gordon Sylvester Wismer
|March 28, 1946 |December 29, 1947 | rowspan="2" | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |Hart |
| December 29, 1947
|August 1, 1952 |
| Robert Bonner
|August 1, 1952 |May 27, 1968 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} | rowspan="2" |W. A. C. Bennett |
| Leslie Peterson
|May 27, 1968 |September 15, 1972 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} |
| Alexander Macdonald
|September 15, 1972 |December 22, 1975 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} |
| Garde Gardom
|December 22, 1975 |November 23, 1979 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} | rowspan="2" |B. Bennett |
| Allan Williams
|November 23, 1979 |May 26, 1983 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} |
| rowspan="2" |Brian Smith
|May 26, 1983 |August 6, 1986 | rowspan="2" | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} |B. Bennett |
| August 6, 1986
|June 29, 1988 |
| Elwood Veitch
|June 29, 1988 |August 6, 1988 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} | rowspan="2" |Vander Zalm |
| Bud Smith
|August 6, 1988 |July 13, 1990 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} |
| rowspan="2" |Russell Fraser
|July 13, 1990 |April 2, 1991 | rowspan="2" | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Social Credit|colour&name}} |Vander Zalm |
| April 2, 1991
|November 5, 1991 |
| Colin Gabelmann
|November 5, 1991 |August 16, 1995 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} |
| rowspan="3" |Ujjal Dosanjh
|August 16, 1995 |February 22, 1996 | rowspan="3" | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} |Harcourt |
| February 28, 1996
|August 25, 1999 |
| August 25, 1999
|February 24, 2000 |
| Andrew Petter
|February 29, 2000 |November 1, 2000 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} | rowspan="2" |Dosanjh |
| Graeme Bowbrick
|November 1, 2000 |June 5, 2001 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} |
| Geoff Plant
|June 5, 2001 |June 16, 2005 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} | rowspan="4" |Campbell |
| Wally Oppal
|June 16, 2005 |June 10, 2009 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| Mike de Jong
|June 10, 2009 |December 1, 2010 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| rowspan="2" |Barry Penner
|December 1, 2010 |March 14, 2011 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| March 14, 2011
|August 18, 2011 |{{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| Shirley Bond
|August 18, 2011 |June 10, 2013 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} | rowspan="3" |C. Clark |
| Suzanne Anton
|June 10, 2013 |June 12, 2017 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| Andrew Wilkinson
|June 12, 2017 |July 18, 2017 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|Liberal|colour&name}} |
| David Eby
|July 18, 2017 |July 19, 2022 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} | rowspan="2" |Horgan |
| Murray Rankin
|July 22, 2022 |November 18, 2022 | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} |
| Niki Sharma
|December 7, 2022 |Incumbent | {{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|colour&name}} |Eby |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.gov.bc.ca/ag/ Ministry of Attorney General]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090107192818/http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2007/sp/ag/default.aspx?hash=2 Ministry of Attorney General Service Plan]
{{Canada topic|Attorney General of}}
{{Government of British Columbia}}
Category:British Columbia government departments and agencies