The Solicitor General Portfolio is responsible for protecting Canadians and helping to maintain Canada as a peaceful and safe society. The Solicitor General of Canada is the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay . There are also four Ministry review bodies who ensure accountability and full respect for the rule of law. The Department's role within the Portfolio is to support the Solicitor General in giving effective direction to the agencies. In practical terms, this means that we help him to direct the work of the entire portfolio, encompassing policing and law enforcement, national security, corrections and conditional release.
Collaboration is essential in our work.
As such, the Portfolio works closely with the Department of Justice , which has the primary responsibility for criminal justice policy at the federal level. The Portfolio also has extensive dealings with other federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, as well as the voluntary and private sectors. For further details, please see the Departmental Reference Book and the 1999-2000 Estimates, Report on Plans and Priorities .