Published plans and annual reports 2025–2026: Ministry of the Attorney General

Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

The Ministry of the Attorney General works to deliver an accessible, responsive and resilient justice system that inspires public confidence and upholds the rule of law.

To achieve this, the ministry is committed to transforming the justice system, prioritizing its critical frontline services, and delivering more services remotely and online to ensure that vulnerable individuals and families get the help they need when and where they need it.

Ministry Programs

The Ministry Administration Program includes the Attorney General's Office, Associate Attorney General’s Office, Parliamentary Assistant's Office, the Deputy Attorney General's Office, the Corporate Services Management Division (CSMD) and the Communications Branch. This program provides for the overall administration of the Ministry. CSMD provides strategic support and advice in the areas of business and fiscal planning, human resources, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, emergency management, project management, data and analytics, facilities management and oversight of the ministry’s capital, accommodation and lease portfolio. CSMD also delivers shared services for the justice sector, including security support, freedom of information and French language services.

The Prosecuting Crime Program is responsible for the prosecution of all criminal offences under the Criminal Code and other federal and provincial statutes, to inspire public confidence in the administration of justice and uphold the Rule of Law. This program provides legal representation for the Crown in Right of Ontario in all criminal matters, including prosecuting criminal cases before all levels of courts, representing the Crown on appeal and providing legal advice to government, the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General in all criminal law matters and to the police upon request.

The Policy, Justice Programs and Agencies Program includes the Policy Division and the Indigenous Justice Division.

The Policy Division is responsible for developing legislation, regulations and policy initiatives to respond to diverse issues in areas such as civil, family, human rights, administrative and commercial law, as well as regulation of the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and private cannabis retail industries. It is also responsible for policy oversight and partnership building relating to the Ministry's regulatory and operational agencies, adjudicative tribunals and programs. The agencies, tribunals and programs in the division include: Tribunals Ontario, Ontario Land Tribunal, Legal Aid Ontario, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, the Special Investigations Unit, the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency, and the Bail Verification and Supervision Program. In addition, the Division administers ministry public appointments to all agencies and adjudicative tribunals, manages the notaries and commissioners’ program that provides direct service delivery to non-lawyer / non-paralegal notary and commissioner applicants, and provides administrative support to the two judicial appointment advisory committees that make recommendations to the Attorney General for judges and justices of the peace appointments in Ontario.

The Indigenous Justice Division is dedicated to addressing Indigenous justice issues, with a specific focus on reducing recidivism rates and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system as victims, accused and offenders. The Division is committed to building strong and respectful relationships with Indigenous communities in Ontario to improve trust in, and understanding of, the justice system. The Division is currently engaged in work that includes overseeing Indigenous justice programs, facilitating Indigenous cultural competency training, legislative reform, policy development, and Coroner's Inquests. The Division also provides strategic advice to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General on matters related to Indigenous justice. The Division collaborates closely with and supports the work of other divisions within the Ministry of the Attorney General, as well as other ministries and agencies within the province including the Ministry of the Solicitor General, the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, the Ontario Provincial Police and First Nations Police Services. Additionally, the Division supports the Indigenous Justice Group and the Elders' Council, who provide critical expert advice to the Attorney General and other ministries as requested.

The Legal Services Program includes both the Civil Law Division and the Office of Legislative Counsel.

The Civil Law Division provides legal services in all civil law matters to the Attorney General, Associate Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, all ministries and many agencies. The Division supports the Attorney General in his duties as Chief Law Officer of the Crown, which includes conducting litigation for and against the Crown, ensuring that the administration of public affairs is in accordance with the law, and providing legal advice on civil matters connected to the government’s operations and priorities.

The Office of Legislative Counsel is responsible for legislative drafting in English and French. This includes drafting bills for the Government and members of the Legislative Assembly and drafting regulations. The Office also provides related legal advice and editing and publishing services, including providing the content for the e-Laws website.

The Court Services Program is responsible for the administration and functioning of criminal, civil, family and small claims courts in Ontario. These services are comprised of three main components: court administration, judicial services and court construction. Court administration and judicial services provide judicial, courtroom and court operational support, and are divided into three key program areas: Court and Client Services, Program Support Services and Judicial Services. Court construction, which is delivered by Corporate Services Management Division (Facilities Management Branch), manages funding for new courthouses and large-scale renovations of existing court facilities to support a justice system that is modern, secure and accessible.

The Victims and Vulnerable Persons Program delivers vital services to victims of crime and their families, children, and vulnerable persons. Victims of crime and their family member(s) are supported through the Ontario Victim Services Branch, which offers a wide array of court-based support and legal advice services delivered both directly and through ministry funded community agencies. Mentally incapable adults receive legal, personal and property guardianship services from the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee. Additionally, the Public Guardian and Trustee acts as the Accountant of the Superior Court of Justice. The Office of the Children's Lawyer has a mandate to investigate, advocate, protect, and represent the personal and property rights of its child clients in proceedings before the courts. The Office for Victims of Crime, a statutory advisory agency to Ontario’s Attorney General, is also included in this program.

The Political Contribution Tax Credit is a credit for contributions made to an Ontario party, constituency association or candidate registered under Ontario's Election Finances Act.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) Program regulates the alcohol, gaming, cannabis and horse racing sectors in Ontario in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in the public interest.

The Courts Technology and Transformation Program is responsible for leading the integration and coordination of long-term projects that are essential to modernizing court operations. The Division also manages a portfolio of digital solutions, and ensures that user needs, including the judiciary and court staff, are met and operations are enhanced by modern, efficient, and effective technology.

Key Performance Indicators

The ministry is in year three of a multi-year process to review and refresh its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure they:

1. are fully reflective of the ministry’s key priorities and stated outcomes, and
2. have appropriate benefits rationales and target values.

The ministry understands the need to be transparent in its performance reporting. Current efforts to redesign KPIs reflects the ministry’s commitment to responding to recommendations from the Auditor General to communicate performance results.

As part of this process, the ministry is enhancing its KPI reporting by revising and strengthening, where required, the target rationales and statistical calculations for ministry KPIs and ensuring a strong relationship between targets and baselines. This will ensure that the ministry is able to monitor strategic priority areas and improve service to clients (e.g., the public and government), while supporting decision-making and measurement of key investments.

This project has already seen the replacement or revision of its complete suite of government directed KPIs and the creation of benefit maps for six of its divisions. This exercise enabled each division to outline their divisional objectives and overarching priorities. The third year of this project will focus on identifying common divisional themes and priorities which will lead to the development of ministry level KPIs.

At this time, the ministry is able to report on the KPIs that remain unchanged from the previous reporting year, the results for which are highlighted below:

2025-2026 Strategic Plan

The Ministry of the Attorney General is responsible for the delivery of an accessible, responsive and resilient justice system that inspires public confidence and upholds the rule of law.

In 2025-2026, the ministry is focused on protecting communities by creating a modern, sustainable justice system. This includes increasing its capacity by making targeted investments to ensure cases proceed through the system as efficiently and effectively as possible. The ministry continues to make investments to ensure flexibility in a modern workforce that will be able to adjust for future caseload pressures.

The ministry will also continue to implement Justice Accelerated, a multi-year strategy that is delivering the most significant upgrade to justice services in Ontario’s history to address longstanding challenges. Taking a multi-pronged approach, the ministry is transforming antiquated systems through the implementation of Lean practices and an end-to-end digital case management system.

The Ministry of the Attorney General supports the AGCO in the licensing and regulation of alcohol, gaming, cannabis retail and horse racing in Ontario. The ministry will continue to work with the AGCO to maintain rigorous standards for licensing, regulation and social responsibility as the retail alcohol framework transitions and expands over the coming years. The ministry will also work with the AGCO through changes to cannabis regulations that will support legitimate local businesses by enhancing transparency and fostering a more welcoming environment for consumers, while still protecting youth from exposure to cannabis.

In tandem with the work the ministry is doing to update its entire suite of KPIs, the ministry will continue to monitor its KPIs to assess performance in areas where reporting is ongoing: for example, French Language Services, improving conditions of public infrastructure, and client satisfaction.

The ministry’s key priorities are categorized into the following main areas:

Courts Modernization

Guided by the Justice Accelerated Strategy, the ministry is transforming Ontario’s justice system to address longstanding challenges through ground-breaking digital initiatives that will make it easier for the public to interact with the courts and increase their access to justice.

The Courts Digital Transformation (CDT) initiative, originally announced in 2023, is the most significant step forward in the digital evolution of justice in Canada. CDT will make services more accessible, inclusive and flexible by replacing outdated and time-consuming paper-based procedures with an intuitive and streamlined online platform to manage cases, documents and schedules. This platform will support access to both the Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) and the Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ). The first phase of the platform is scheduled to launch in 2025 in Toronto for SCJ family, civil, small claims, enforcement, and divisional courts, and OCJ family court. Phase 2 is anticipated to rollout in 2027 in the Toronto SCJ and OCJ for criminal proceedings.

The ongoing virtual and hybrid hearings initiative expands and improves courtrooms' capabilities for holding remote hearings across the province. This significantly improves access to justice by removing barriers to attending court events, reduces costs for clients and optimizes the allocation of resources within the ministry by enabling courtrooms with audio and visual technology.

In addition, the ministry is working to ensure video and audio court hearings are available in every region, including in more rural, Northern, and Indigenous communities. This ongoing investment will help break down long-standing barriers and will support a modern, accessible legal system that meets the needs of First Nations and Northern communities.

Sustaining Ontario’s Justice System

The ministry remains committed to reducing the number of criminal cases in Ontario courts and continues to closely monitor progress to create a sustainable justice system. The ministry is taking action to keep Ontarians safe and ensure access to justice for those involved in the criminal justice system, including victims and their families.

The ministry is also working to strengthen the courts’ ability to deal with serious crimes by allocating more judges to the Ontario Court of Justice. Up to 10 additional judges will be allocated over the next three years to ensure courts keep pace with a growing number of complex cases. Legislation will also be introduced to streamline the judicial selection process. These changes include a new pool-based recommendation process that would allow the government to speed up judicial appointments to the Ontario Court of Justice. These changes would also require the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee to consider criteria set out by the Attorney General when reviewing and evaluating judicial candidates.

The ministry is also focused on addressing the backlog of civil and family cases in the province’s courts. This will help to reduce the length of time it takes the courts to reach a decision in civil and family matters and make the justice system more accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of people across the province.

One of the ministry’s priorities is courtroom staffing and addressing recruitment and retention challenges in frontline court and client representative positions to ensure sustainable court operations now and in the future. Court staff play an essential role in the administration of justice. Without them, court hearings cannot proceed, matters cannot be scheduled, and legal documents cannot be filed, impacting the lives of everyone who needs to access the justice system. The ministry is working closely with judicial officials to ensure matters can proceed as scheduled.

The ministry will continue to work with all legal partners to explore ways to address delays in the justice system. The ministry will work to ensure that, cases proceed through the system as efficiently and effectively as possible and Ontario’s justice system remains strong, responsive and sustainable for many years to come.

The ministry works with Tribunals Ontario to ensure that the ministry’s tribunals provide effective dispute resolution services and that Ontarians who need those services have access to justice. This includes actively addressing the backlog of cases at the Landlord Tenant Board to improve client service and reduce decision timeframes.

Prosecution

The ministry’s top operational risk continues to be the potential for lost cases in the criminal context. R. v. Jordan requires that cases be heard within strict time limits or the accused person will walk free without a trial on its merits, including for murder and sexual assault cases. Protecting these at-risk cases from collapse is in the best interest of the public and promotes community safety.

The ministry is investing in Ontario’s prosecution service to effectively case manage and prosecute the increased volume and complexity of gun and gang, auto theft and serious violent criminal cases. In line with this, the ministry is permanently establishing teams to work directly with police, provide advice during investigations and to prosecute cases. This includes the Provincial Gun and Gang Support Unit which will support inter-jurisdictional major gun and gang investigations and prosecutions, and the Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team which works directly with the Ontario Provincial Police’s Organized Crime Towing and Auto Theft Team on large and complex cases. Additionally, the ministry is introducing new cybercrime and cryptocurrency prosecution teams which will support police investigations and prosecute major cybercrime cases. These specialized teams will hold offenders accountable, while stronger and more efficient courts will support victims of crime and keep communities safe.

The ministry is also working to protect communities from repeat offenders. In support of this, the ministry is permanently establishing the Intensive Serious Violent Crime Bail Teams to reduce violent crime and prevent repeat offences. The teams, made up of dedicated prosecutors who work with provincial and local police services, will focus on repeat and prolific accused persons.

To address the challenges encampments pose to public safety across Ontario, legislative changes will be brought through the Safer Municipalities Act to increase penalties that may be applied by the court during sentencing for people who deliberately and continually trespass.

The ministry’s work on the multi-year Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy will help combat gun and gang violence on all fronts across Ontario and keep communities safe. This year, the ministry is expanding its dedicated guns and gangs units in targeted regions to bolster border security and address the impact of illegal firearms entering Canada. The ministry is focusing on initiatives related to preventing, monitoring, and fighting gun and gang-related violence and organized crime, as well as assisting victims and survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.

Support for Victims

The ministry continues to support the complex needs of victims by sustaining and expanding critical programs to support victims of crime, their families and survivors of sexual violence. The ministry will move forward with its plans to improve access to legal support for survivors of sexual assault and for children who are victims or witnesses of crime, such as the Independent Legal Advice for Survivors of Sexual Assault program and the Child Victim Witness Support Program. The ministry is introducing legislative changes to address intimate partner violence by reducing barriers to obtain restraining orders against abusers. Additional persons would be able to apply for family restraining orders on behalf of individuals in need of protection, including designated representatives or other persons with permission of the court. Consultations will be required following royal assent and prior to bringing the legislation into force.

Review of the Rules of Civil Procedure

The Attorney General, in partnership with the Chief Justice of the Superior Court, established the Civil Rules Review Working Group to carry out a review of the Rules of Civil Procedure to support the necessary transformation of civil proceedings to help save Ontarians time and money. Through broad consultation with civil justice system participants, the review will identify and target areas for rules reform that will have the most positive impact for the public, self-represented litigants, members of the practicing bar, judges and valued court staff. In the past four years, the ministry created transformational change to civil court processes through 24 regulations amending the court rules as well as amendments to the Family Law Rules, with the Family Rules Committee.

Table 1: Ministry planned expenditures 2025–2026 ($M)

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

Historical Trend Analysis Data

Agencies, boards and commissions reporting to the ministry

Ministry organizational chart

• Hon. Doug Downey, Attorney General
  • Ryan Freeston, Executive Advisor & Chief Legal Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General (acting)
  • Paula Reid, Executive Advisor for Leadership Development
  • David Corbett, Deputy Attorney General
    • Catherine Emile, Justice Cluster Chief Information Officer & Assistant Deputy Minister, Justice Technology Services
    • Derek Thompson, Head, Solutions Branch
    • Katie Wood, Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Court Services Division
      • Babi Banerjee, Director, Corporate Support Branch
      • Vaia Pappas, Director, Operational Support Branch
      • Louise Robson, Director, Program Management Branch (acting)
      • Directors: Court Operations
        • Rosanna Giancristiano, Toronto
        • Mena Zaffino, Central East
        • Ann Gendron, East
        • Ryan Easson, Central West (acting)
        • Angela McGonigal, West
        • Jacquie Williamson, Northeast
        • Jennifer Purves, Northwest
      • Shannon Chase, Executive Legal Officer, Court of Appeal
      • Rosemarie Juginovic, Executive Legal Officer, Superior Court of Justice
      • Kathleen Murphy, Executive Legal Officer, Ontario Court of Justice
    • Randy Schwartz, Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Law Division
      • Nancy Krigas, Director, Assistant Deputy Attorney General’s Office
      • Directors: Crown Operations
        • Andrew Locke, Toronto
        • Paul Tait, Central East
        • Julie Scott, East
        • Todd Norman, Central West
        • Belinda Pagliaroli, West
        • Kelly Weeks, North
      • Leslie Paine, Director, Crown Law Office, Criminal
      • Fred Braley, Director, Guns & Gangs
      • John Corelli, Director, Complex Prosecution Bureau
      • Dayna Arron, Executive Director, Justice Centres
      • Janine Hodgins, Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives
      • Vedia Yilmaz, Director, Strategic Operations & Management Centre (acting)
    • Sean Kearney, Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Civil Law Division
      • Amy Archer, Legal Director, Assistant Deputy Attorney General’s Office (acting)
      • Chantelle Blom, Director, Crown Law Office, Civil (acting)
      • Sarah Wright, Director, Constitutional Law Branch
      • Nayla Ibrahim, Director, Strategic & Business Management Branch
      • Kikee Malik, Portfolio Director
        • Directors: Legal Services Branches
          • Amyn Hadibhai, Ministry of Education/Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security
          • Hari Viswanathan, Family Responsibility Office
          • Elaine Atkinson, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
          • Roslyn Baichoo, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development/Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming/Ministry of Sport
          • Cheryl Carson, Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility/Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism
          • Tom McKinlay, Ministry of Finance
          • Peter Spencer, Ministry of Health/Ministry of Long-Term Care
          • Fateh Salim, Ministry of the Solicitor General/Ministry of Energy
          • Donna Glassman, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade/Ministry of Red Tape Reduction
          • Lynne Atkinson, Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation
          • Lauren Temple, Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth/Ministry of Mines
          • Len Hatzis, Treasury Board Secretariat
      • Sean Kearney, Portfolio Director
        • Directors: Legal Services Branches
          • Stephen Lockwood, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (acting)
          • Diane Zimnica, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
          • Omar Shahab, Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement/Ministry of Infrastructure
          • Natasha Wilson, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
          • Laurence Borg, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
          • Donald Bennett, Ministry of Transportation
    • Mark Spakowski, Chief Legislative Counsel
    • Olha Dobush, Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Victims & Vulnerable Persons Division
      • Nicole Mahabir, Director, Divisional Corporate Support Branch (acting)
      • Jill Dubrick, Director, Ontario Victim Services
      • Dianne Carter, Children’s Lawyer
      • Sidney Peters, Public Guardian & Trustee
    • Erika Cotter, Assistant Deputy Attorney General & Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Services Management Division
      • Abrar Mistry, Director, Business & Fiscal Planning (acting)
      • Christie Hayhow, Director, Human Resources Strategic Business Unit
      • Andrew Nizielski, Director, Facilities Management Branch
      • Frank Skubic, Director, Justice Sector Security and Emergency Management Branch
      • Pratima Gounden, Director, Digital Strategy and Initiatives Branch (acting)
      • Dominic Fernandes, Director, Analytics & Evidence Branch
      • Mirjeta Dhamo, Coordinator, French Language Services
      • Noel Kent, Senior Manager, Freedom of Information
      • Brad Obee, Director, Audit Services (Treasury Board Secretariat)
    • Marian Jacko, Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Indigenous Justice Division
      • Jennifer Abbott, Director, Indigenous Services
      • Kaitlin Ritchie, Legal Director
    • Jane Mallen, Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Policy Division
      • Juliet Robin, Executive Director, Justice Policy Development
      • Wendy Chen, Director, Agency & Tribunal Relations (acting)
      • Ana Kapralos, Director, Program Modernization & Appointments Branch (acting)
      • Christina Boucinha, Executive Director, Ontario Land Tribunal
      • Harry Gousopoulos, Executive Director, Tribunals Ontario
        • Mira Gamsa, Director of Operations
        • Lorissa Sciarra, Director, Strategic Development
        • Sara Vandervliet, Director, Strategic Business Services, Tribunals Ontario
      • Tricia Dorman, Chief Operations Officer, Law Enforcement Complaints Agency
      • Brad Brand, Executive Officer, Special Investigations Unit (acting)
      • Michael Harris, Director, Ontario Human Rights Commission (acting)
    • Peter O’Keefe, Assistant Deputy Attorney, Courts Technology and Transformation Division
      • Jamal Salim, Director, Judicial IT Office
      • Jessica Smith, Director, Courts Digital Transformation Branch
      • Eric Ward, Director, Digital Solutions Portfolio Branch
    • Rebecca Ganesathas, Director, Communications (acting)
      • Heather Visser Greson, Manager, Issues & Media Relations
      • Katie Franzios, Manager, Strategic Planning, Public Engagement & Corporate Communications
      • Darlene Transey, Manager, Correspondence and Public Inquiries

Ministry of the Attorney General legislation

Administration of Justice

• Administration of Justice Act
• Apology Act, 2009
• Arbitration Act, 1991
• Assessment Review Board Act
• Bail Act
• Blind Persons’ Rights Act
• Class Proceedings Act, 1992
• Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act
• Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (sections pertaining to the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency)
• Courts of Justice Act
• Crown Witnesses Act
• Dog Owners’ Liability Act
• Education Act (sections pertaining to Special Education Tribunal — English & French)
• Evidence Act
• Execution Act
• Fines and Forfeitures Act
• Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (sections pertaining to the Fire Safety Commission)
• Habeas Corpus Act
• Hearings in Tribunal Proceedings (Temporary Measures) Act, 2020
• Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Inquiries Act
• Human Rights Code
• Judicial Review Procedure Act
• Juries Act
• Justices of the Peace Act
• Legal Aid Services Act, 2020
• Legislation Act, 2006
• Licence Appeal Tribunal Act, 1999
• Limitations Act, 2002
• Ministry of Correctional Services Act, 1990 (sections pertaining to the Ontario Parole Board)
• Negligence Act
• Notaries Act
• Ontario Land Tribunal Act, 2021
• Ontario Works Act, 1997 (section pertaining to Social Benefits Tribunal)
• Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, 2019
• Parental Responsibility Act, 2000
• Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking Act, 2017
• Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 (sections pertaining to the Animal Care Review Board)
• Provincial Offences Act
• Public Inquiries Act, 2009
• Real Property Limitations Act
• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (sections pertaining to the Landlord and Tenant Board)
• Safe Streets Act, 1999
• Special Investigations Unit Act, 2019
• Statutory Powers Procedure Act
• Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, 2009
• Tribunal Adjudicative Records Act, 2019
• Victims’ Bill of Rights, 1995

Family Law

• Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (sections pertaining to Child and Family Services Review Board, Custody Review Board)
• Children's Law Reform Act
• Family Law Act
• Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017

Inter-jurisdictional

• Enforcement of Judgments Conventions Act, 1999
• International Choice of Court Agreements Convention Act, 2017
• International Electronic Communications Convention Act, 2017
• International Interests in Mobile Equipment Act (Aircraft Equipment), 2002
• International Recognition of Trusts Act, 2017
• Interprovincial Summonses Act
• Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments (UK) Act
• Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act
• Settlement of International Investment Disputes Act, 1999
• Transboundary Pollution Reciprocal Access Act

Property Statutes

• Accumulations Act
• Aliens’ Real Property Act
• Conveyancing and Law of Property Act
• Disorderly Houses Act
• Escheats Act, 2015
• Expropriations Act
• Fraudulent Conveyances Act
• Mortgages Act
• Occupiers’ Liability Act
• Partition Act
• Property and Civil Rights Act
• Religious Organizations’ Lands Act
• Short Forms of Leases Act
• Trespass to Property Act

Business Regulation

• Absconding Debtors Act
• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019
• Business Records Protection Act
• Cannabis Control Act, 2017
• Cannabis Licence Act, 2018
• Charities Accounting Act
• Commercial Mediation Act, 2010
• Construction Act
• Costs of Distress Act
• Creditors’ Relief Act, 2010
• Electronic Commerce Act, 2000
• Frustrated Contracts Act
• Gaming Control Act, 1992
• Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015
• International Commercial Arbitration Act, 2017
• International Sales Conventions Act, R.S.O. 1990
• Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019
• Mercantile Law Amendment Act
• Sale of Goods Act
• Statute of Frauds
• Unconscionable Transactions Relief Act
• Vendors and Purchasers Act
• Wages Act
• Warehouse Receipts Act

Professional Regulation

• Architects Act
• Barristers Act
• Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario Act, 2017
• Law Society Act
• Professional Engineers Act
• Public Accounting Act, 2004
• Solicitors Act

Crown Duties/Immunity

• Crown Agency Act
• Crown Attorneys Act
• Crown Liability and Proceedings Act, 2019
• Ministry of the Attorney General Act
• Ombudsman Act
• Public Authorities Protection Act
• Public Officers Act
• Supporting Ontario's Recovery Act, 2020

Estates

• Absentees Act
• Crown Administration of Estates Act
• Declarations of Death Act, 2002
• Estates Act
• Estates Administration Act
• Perpetuities Act
• Powers of Attorney Act
• Public Guardian and Trustee Act
• Settled Estates Act
• Substitute Decisions Act, 1992
• Succession Law Reform Act
• Trustee Act
• Variation of Trusts Act

Other

• Age of Majority and Accountability Act
• Civil Remedies Act, 2001
• Donation of Food Act, 1994
• Executive Council Act
• Good Samaritan Act, 2001
• Human Trafficking Awareness Day Act, 2017
• Libel and Slander Act
• Lieutenant Governor Act
• Magna Carta Day Act (In Memory of Julia Munro, MPP), 2020
• Members’ Integrity Act, 1994
• Ontario Association of Former Parliamentarians Act, 2000
• Prohibiting Profiting from Recounting Crimes Act, 2002
• Religious Freedom Act
• Revised Statutes Confirmation and Corrections Act, 1993
• Time Act

Democracy Statutes

• Election Act
• Election Finances Act
• Electoral System Referendum Act, 2007
• Legislative Assembly Act
• Representation Act, 2015

Appendix: 2024–2025 Annual Report

In 2024–2025, the Ministry of the Attorney General continued to build on its progress to transform Ontario’s outdated justice system, support victims and vulnerable people and build stronger, more collaborative relationships with the justice system.

The ministry continued its multi-pronged approach to transform antiquated systems through the implementation of Lean practices and an end-to-end digital case management system. The ministry made investments to ensure the justice system is sustainable and flexible to adjust to future caseload pressures.

The ministry delivered exceptional service to the public despite significant financial pressures.

Key performance indicators

As part of the annual Strategic Planning Process, the ministry reports its progress on its ministry KPIs. The ministry has made progress in, and met or exceeded, the stated targets in several areas:

• Completion of Emergency Management Program requirements: the ministry continues to meet this target through a 100 per cent compliance rate each year.
• Percentage of clients satisfied with services received: the ministry exceeded the target of 85 per cent by achieving a 94.3 per cent satisfaction rate in 2023-2024, and results improved even more in 2024–2025, with a 96.8 per cent satisfaction rating. The ministry has maintained good client satisfaction levels, and this is demonstrated in the ministry’s satisfaction rating.
• Percentage of public facing service standards for timely service delivery that are achieved: the ministry’s result in the 2023-2024 reporting year was 73 per cent, but this figure has risen to 78 per cent as of March 31, 2024, exceeding its target of 75 per cent. In April 2022, various programs aimed at supporting victims – along with the related data – moved to the Ministry of Children Community and Social Services.

The ministry faced challenges achieving the target for two KPIs:

• Percentage of designated bilingual positions filled with incumbents with the right level of French proficiency: the ministry’s results remained stagnant from 60 per cent in the 2023-2024 reporting year to 60 per cent as of March 31, 2024. The Justice Sector Ministries’ French Language Services (FLS) Strategic Plan has a strong focus on recruitment and retention of a qualified bilingual workforce and aligns with FLS enterprise initiatives. This is ongoing work, and the ministry committed to provision of FLS in all areas of its operations.
• Facility Condition Index (FCI) for the leasehold component of the ministry’s Leasehold Asset Management Program (LAMP) assessed sites: In the 2024–2025 reporting year, MAG used an annual dollar investment amount instead of a target FCI amount (%) because it more accurately identifies what the ministry can reasonably afford. Currently, MAG has insufficient funding to attain an “optimal” FCI target of 30 per cent or lower (meaning the facility and its components are functioning as intended, per IAMF). To achieve a FCI target of 30 per cent, MAG would be required to invest an amount far greater than its total Facilities Renewal Allocation - MAG will target an investment of $172,365,420 over 4 years (average of $43,091,355/annually) which represents approximately 86 per cent of the FRA which is $200,538,100 over the next 4 years (average of $50,134,525/annually). MAG will also continue to fund urgent health and safety, security, accessibility, and other functionality projects as required. Actual spending may vary depending upon complexity of investment, delivery timing of investments and other potential priorities which may arise.

Each year, the ministry conducts a lessons-learned exercise to identify successes and challenges to ensure the best outcomes for the people of Ontario through responsible investment and evidence-based decision-making.

Justice accelerated strategy

The ministry continued to transform Ontario’s justice system to address long-standing challenges through ground-breaking digital initiatives that will make it easier to interact with the courts and increase access to justice.

In 2024–2025, the ministry continued to expand the Justice Services Online (JSO) platform to allow court users to file nearly 900 different court documents online, without having to go to court.

The ministry expanded the types of court documents that can be filed online to include bankruptcy and Divisional Court files in addition to expanding the online court case search tool to ensure the public can access basic court information and select civil and active criminal matters.

The expansion of the JSO has allowed court users to digitally access court information 24 hours a day from anywhere, without having to go to a courthouse.

The ministry is working to ensure video and audio court hearings are available in every region, including in more rural, Northern, and Indigenous communities. In 2021-2022, 40 installations were completed, with another 50 completed in 2022-2023. In 2023-2024, 34 installations were completed, with another 23 completed in 2024–2025.

Increasing Court Capacity

The ministry is committed to ensuring the courts have the resources it needs to hear cases in a timely manner.

In May 2024, the ministry allocated $29 million to appoint at least 25 new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice and hire 190 more Crown prosecutors, victim support and court staff. This investment has helped the court to keep pace with a growing number of complex cases by increasing the capacity to hear cases. Recruiting additional court staff supports the administration of the courts and the judiciary while additional victim support staff strengthens services to victims and witnesses throughout the court process.

Since May 2024, the Ontario government has appointed 40 new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, 16 of which were appointed to one of the newly created positions and 24 to address vacancies from the previous complement.

Legal Aid Ontario

The ministry is working with Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to ensure access to justice and effective legal services for eligible low-income Ontarians. In 2023, LAO made changes to the compensation structure for private bar lawyers who are paid to do legal aid work. The compensation structure is set out in the legal aid tariff. The tariff reforms came into effect in stages, with the second stage of phase two being implemented in July 2024.

Prior to this, the compensation structure for legal aid lawyers in Ontario had been largely unchanged for 25 years, and the hourly rates and block fee rates had not increased since 2015. These tariff changes acknowledge the increased complexity of providing legal aid services. In order to implement key tariff improvements in a timely manner, LAO is taking a phased approach to implementation.

LAO’s current strong financial position has enabled LAO to fund these tariff changes.

Supporting Victims and Vulnerable People

Our ministry continues to provide victims of crime a broad range of court-related supports and legal services that assist those who have been victimized or affected by trauma to meet their unique needs.

In the 2024 Budget, the Ontario government announced an additional $6.4 million over three years for the Child Victim Witness and the Independent Legal Advice for Survivors of Sexual Assault programs to sustain and expand supports for victims of crime and survivors of sexual violence. These programs provide legal support for survivors of sexual assault and for children who are victims or witnesses of crime. Participation in these programs allows recipients to better understand the criminal court process and make informed decisions about their legal options, including reporting the incident and holding the offenders to account after experiencing sexual assault.

Opening Ontario’s First Indigenous Learning Centre

The Indigenous Learning Centre, located in the Ontario Court of Justice – Toronto, celebrated its official opening and naming in June 2024. The centre offers events and programs to educate justice sector workers, students and the public about Indigenous law, treaties, history related to the Ontario justice system, truth and reconciliation and Indigenous legal traditions. The Aboriginal Legal Services and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation jointly operate the centre.

Supporting the Alcohol Retail Sale Expansion

The Ontario government is committed to providing Ontarians with choice and convenience when buying alcoholic beverages while also ensuring the safe and responsible sale of alcohol.

In May 2024, the Ontario government announced the phased expansion and rollout of alcohol retail sales. Starting August 2024, grocery stores already selling wine or beer could carry an increased selection of local, domestic and international alcohol products and by the end of October 2024, every convenience, grocery and big-box store in Ontario would be able to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. In October 2024, the government announced that all licensed grocery and big-box stores were allowed to sell beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink beverages.

To support the expansion of alcohol retail sales and promote the safe and responsible sale of alcohol, the government provided the AGCO additional funding for staffing to enable increase compliance and enforcement activities. The AGCO began accepting applications for liquor retail licenses from convenience stores in July 2024, provided training programs for liquor retail employees and, in collaboration with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, offered joint information sessions to convenience stores and grocery store owners who were interested in selling alcohol.

Table 3: Ministry interim actual expenditures 2024–2025