Ontario's new Attorney General is a Law '67 grad

Photo courtesy of the Government of Ontario

Premier Dalton McGuinty, Ontario's new Attorney General John Gerretsen, Law '67, and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David C. Onley at the swearing-in ceremony on October 20.

A Queen's Law alumnus is now Ontario's top lawyer. The Hon. John P. Gerretsen, Law '67 (Arts '64), was named the province's Attorney General on Oct. 20 by Premier Dalton McGuinty.

"We at the Faculty of Law were all delighted to learn of John Gerretsen's appointment," says Dean Bill Flanagan. "It is a wonderful recognition of his many years of public service and leadership in the legal community."

Valuable counsel to Queen's as a Trustee was part of those years.

Gerretsen, a former Kingston alderman who eventually became the city's longest-serving mayor in 1980, was first elected as MPP for Kingston and The Islands in 1995. He is no stranger to McGuinty's Liberal cabinet, having previously served as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (2003-07), Minister of the Environment (2007-10) and Minister of Consumer Services (2010). He has also served as Minister Responsible for Seniors.

As Attorney General (AG), he oversees the judicial system and administration of justice in Ontario. That includes some 8,000 lawyers, Crown attorneys and others working in courts and administrative tribunals in the province's 45 judicial districts. The AG also advises the government on legal matters and decides whether to appeal certain cases to the Court of Appeal for Ontario or the Supreme Court of Canada.

Gerretsen enjoys his job, not least because it sometimes recalls his days as a sole practitioner and, before that, Queen's classes and professors such as contract law with Dan Soberman, criminal justice with Ron Price, labour law with Bernie Adell and constitutional law with Bill Lederman.

"Getting briefed on all of these various areas now is almost like getting a refresher course in things that I've done in the past," says Gerretsen. "You think, 'I remember dealing in that particular area of the law, and I remember thinking we could make some changes.'"

Now that he's in a position to actually do that, Gerretsen says one of his top priorities is to further expand access to the legal system. To that end, he says, Queen's Park has added $150 million to the province's legal aid budget over the next four years, a move he says will enhance the ability of Ontario's 77 community and special legal clinics, Family Law Service Centres, toll-free legal help lines, and six student legal aid clinics -- including the one at Queen's -- to provide affordable and timely advice and counsel for clients.