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The Premier Should Not Also Be The Attorney General: Roncarelli V Duplessis Revisited As A Cautionary Tale In Legal Ethics And Professionalism, Andrew Flavelle Martin
The Premier Should Not Also Be The Attorney General: Roncarelli V Duplessis Revisited As A Cautionary Tale In Legal Ethics And Professionalism, Andrew Flavelle Martin
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From time to time, a Premier or Prime Minister appoints themself as Attorney General. In this article, I argue that this dual portfolio is inherently and incurably problematic and should be avoided and indeed prohibited. I do so from the perspective of legal ethics and professionalism. The springboard for my analysis is the conduct of Quebec Premier and Attorney General Maurice Duplessis in the classic case of Roncarelli v Duplessis. While there may well be perceived benefits that tempt Premiers to serve in the dual role, any lawyer who does so unavoidably violates his or her professional obligations. For …