A justice ministry, ministry of justice,[1] or department of justice[2] is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a very few countries) or a secretary of justice. In countries where this agency is called a department (usually department of justice, sometimes attorney general's department), the head of the department may be called the attorney general, for example in the United States.[3] Monaco is an example of a country that does not have a ministry of justice, but rather a Directorate of Judicial Services (head: Secretary of Justice) that oversees the administration of justice.[4] Vatican City, a country under the sovereignty of the Holy See, also does not possess a ministry of justice. Instead, the Governorate of Vatican City State (head: President of the Governorate of Vatican City State), the legislative body of the Vatican, includes a legal office.
Depending on the country, specific duties may relate to organizing the justice system, overseeing the public prosecutor[5] and national investigative agencies (e.g. the American Federal Bureau of Investigation), and maintaining the legal system and public order. Some ministries have additional responsibilities in related policy areas such as overseeing elections, directing the police, law reform, and administration of the immigration and citizenship services. The duties of the ministry of justice may in some countries be split from separate responsibilities of an attorney general[6] (often responsible for the justice system) and the interior minister[7] (often responsible for public order). Sometimes the prison system is separated into another government department called Corrective Services.
Related articles and lists
| Country, State or Territory | Subnational division | Ministry | Head | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Albania | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Algeria† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Andorra† | Ministry of Social Affairs, Justice and Interior | Minister of Social Affairs, Justice and Interior | list | |
 Angola | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Anguilla† | Attorney General's Chambers | Attorney General | list | |
 Antigua and Barbuda† | Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs | Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs | list | |
 Argentina† | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Armenia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Aruba† | Ministry of Justice, Security and Integration | Minister of Justice, Security and Integration | list | |
.svg.png){kind=small} Australia | Attorney General's Department | Attorney General of Australia | list | |
| Australian Capital Territory | Attorney General | list | ||
| New South Wales† | Department of Attorney General and Justice | Attorney General; Minister of Justice† | list list | |
| Norfolk Island | Attorney General | Chief Minister | ||
| Northern Territory | Department of Justice and Attorney General | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
| Queensland | Department of Justice and Attorney General | Attorney General of Queensland | list | |
| South Australia | Department of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
| Tasmania | Department of Justice and the Attorney General | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
| Victoria† | Department of Justice and Community Safety | Attorney-General | list | |
| Western Australia | Department of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Austria | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Azerbaijan | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Bahamas | Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs (Bahamas) | Attorney General Minister of Legal Affairs | list | |
 Bahrain† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Bangladesh† | Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs | Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs | list | |
 Barbados | Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs | Attorney General | list | |
 Belarus† | Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus | Minister of Justice | list | |
.svg.png){kind=small} Belgium | Federal Public Service Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Belize | Ministry of the Attorney General Office | Attorney General | list | |
 Benin | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Bermuda | Attorney General's Chambers | Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs | list | |
 Bhutan† | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Bolivia | Ministry of Justice and Institutional Transparency | Minister of Justice and Institutional Transparency | list | |
 Bonaire† | Chief Public Prosecutor | Attorney General (Ministry of Justice and Security) | list | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Botswana | Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security | Minister of Defence, Justice and Security | list | |
 Brazil† | Ministry of Justice and Public Security | Minister of Justice and Public Security | list | |
 British Virgin Islands | Department of Justice | Attorney General | list | |
 Brunei | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Bulgaria | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Burkina Faso | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Burundi | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Cambodia† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Cameroon† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of State for Justice | list | |
.svg.png){kind=small} Canada | Department of Justice | Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada | list | |
| Alberta | Ministry of Justice and Attorney General | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
| British Columbia | Ministry of Justice | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
| Manitoba | Department of Justice (Manitoba) | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
| New Brunswick | Department of Justice (New Brunswick) | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Department of Justice and Public Safety | Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Public Safety | ||
| Northwest Territories | Department of Justice | Minister of Justice | ||
| Nova Scotia | Department of Justice | Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Public Safety | ||
| Nunavut | Department of Justice | Minister of Justice | ||
| Ontario | Ministry of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
| Prince Edward Island | Department of Justice and Public Safety | Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Public Safety | ||
| Quebec | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice (Quebec) | list | |
| Saskatchewan | Ministry of Justice | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | ||
| Yukon | Department of Justice | Minister of Justice | ||
 Cape Verde | Ministry of Justice and Labor | Minister of Justice and Labor | list | |
 Cayman Islands | Office of Director of Public Prosecutions | Director of Public Prosecutions | list | |
 Central African Republic | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Chad† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Chile | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 People's Republic of China | Ministry of Justice Public Notary Office of People's Republic of China Supreme People's Procuratorate | Minister of Justice Procurator-General | list | |
 Hong Kong | Department of Justice | Secretary for Justice | list | |
 Macau | Secretariat for Administration and Justice | Secretary for Administration and Justice | list | |
 Republic of China (Taiwan) | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Colombia | Ministry of Justice and Law | Minister of Justice and Law | list | |
 Comoros† | Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights | Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights | list | |
 Cook Islands† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Costa Rica | Ministry of Justice and Peace | Minister of Justice and Peace | list | |
 Croatia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Cuba | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Curaçao† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Cyprus | Ministry of Justice and Public Order | Minister of Justice and Public Order | list | |
 Czech Republic | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Democratic Republic of Congo† | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Denmark | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Djibouti† | Ministry of Justice and Penal Affairs | Minister of Justice and Penal Affairs | list | |
 Dominica† | Ministry of Justice, Immigration and National Security | Minister of Justice, Immigration and National Security | list | |
 Dominican Republic | Attorney General of the Republic (Dominican Republic) | Attorney General | list | |
 East Timor | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Ecuador | Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Cults | Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Cults | list | |
 Egypt† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 El Salvador | Public Ministry | Attorney General | list | |
 Equatorial Guinea | Ministry of Justice, Worship and Penitentiary Institutions | Minister of Justice, Worship and Penitentiary Institutions | list | |
 Eritrea | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Estonia† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Ethiopia† | Federal Attorney General's Office (formerly Ministry of Justice) | Federal Attorney General | list | |
 European Union | DG Justice | Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship | list | |
 Faroe Islands | Ministry of Internal Affairs | Minister of Internal Affairs | list | |
 Fiji† | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
 Finland | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 France | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Gabon | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Gambia | Ministry of Justice | Minister for Justice | list | |
 Georgia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Abkhazia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 South Ossetia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Germany | Federal Ministry of Justice | Federal Minister of Justice | list | |
 Ghana | Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Department | Attorney General | list | |
 Gibraltar† | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecution | list | |
 Greece | Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights | Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights | list | |
 Greenland | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | ||
 Grenada† | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Guam | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Guatemala | Public Ministry | Attorney General | list | |
 Guinea | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Guinea-Bissau | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Guyana† | Ministry of Legal Affairs and Attorney General's Chambers | Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs | list | |
 Haiti | Ministry of Justice and Public Security | Minister of Justice and Public Security | list | |
 Honduras | Ministry of Human Rights, Justice, Governance and Decentralization | Minister of Human Rights, Justice, Governance and Decentralization | list | |
 Hungary | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Administration and Justice | list | |
 Iceland | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Interior | list | |
 India† | Ministry of Law and Justice | Minister of Law and Justice | list | |
 Indonesia† | Ministry of Law and Human Rights Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General† Minister of Justice and Human Rights† | list list | |
 Iran† | Ministry of Justice | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
 Iraq† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Ireland | Department of Justice | Minister for Justice | list | |
 Isle of Man† | Attorney General | Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom) | list | |
 Israel | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Palestine† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Italy | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Ivory Coast | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Jamaica | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Japan | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Jordan† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Kazakhstan | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Kenya | Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice (formerly Ministry of Justice) | Attorney General | list | |
 Kiribati† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 South Korea | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Kyrgyzstan | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Kuwait† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Laos† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Latvia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Lebanon† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Lesotho | Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Correctional Services | Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Correctional Services | list | |
 Liberia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice Attorney General | list | |
 Libya† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Liechtenstein | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture | Minister of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture | list | |
 Lithuania | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Luxembourg | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 North Macedonia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Madagascar | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Malawi† | Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs | Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs | list | |
 Maldives | Ministry of Law and Gender | Attorney General and Minister of Law and Gender | list | |
 Mali | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Malta† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Marshall Islands† | Ministry of Justice, Immigration and Labor | Minister of Justice, Immigration and Labor | list | |
 Mauritania† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Mauritius | Attorney General's Office, Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
 Mexico | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Micronesia | Department of Justice | Secretary of Justice | list | |
 Moldova | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Transnistria | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Mongolia† | Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs | Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs | list | |
 Montenegro† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Montserrat | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Morocco† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic† | Ministry of Justice and Religious Affairs | Minister of Justice and Religious Affairs | list | |
 Mozambique | Ministry of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs | Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs | list | |
 Myanmar† | Office of the Attorney General | Union Attorney General | list | |
 Namibia | Ministry of Justice | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
 Nauru† | Ministry of Justice and Border Control | Minister of Justice and Border Control (Nauru) | list | |
 Nepal† | Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Netherlands | Ministry of Justice and Security | Minister of Justice and Security | list | |
 New Zealand | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Nicaragua | Public Ministry | Attorney General | list | |
 Niger† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Nigeria† | Ministry of Justice | Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria | list | |
 Niue† | Justice Department (formerly Ministry of Justice) | Secretary of Justice (Ministry of Social Services) | list | |
 Norway | Ministry of Justice and Public Security | Minister of Justice and Public Security | list | |
 Oman† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Pakistan | Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights | Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Palau† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Panama | Ministry of Government (formerly Ministry of Government and Justice) | Minister of Government | list | |
 Papua New Guinea | Department of Justice and Attorney General | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
 Paraguay | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Peru | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Philippines | Department of Justice | Secretary of Justice | list | |
 Poland | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Portugal | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Qatar† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Republic of Congo† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Romania | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Russia† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Crimea | Prosecutor General's Office | Prosecutor General | list | |
 Rwanda | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Saba† | Chief Public Prosecutor | Attorney General (Ministry of Security and Justice) | list | |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis† | Ministry of the Attorney General, Justice and Legal Affairs and Communications | Attorney General | list | |
 Saint Lucia | Ministry of Legal Affairs | Minister of Legal Affairs | list | |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines† | Ministry of Legal Affairs | Minister of Legal Affairs | list | |
 Samoa | Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration | Minister of Justice and Courts Administration | list | |
 San Marino† | Department of Institutional Affairs and Justice | Secretariat of State for Justice, Information and Research | list | |
 São Tomé and Príncipe | Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Human Rights | Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Human Rights | list | |
 Saudi Arabia† | Ministry of Justice and Legal Reform | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Senegal | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Serbia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Kosovo | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Seychelles† | Department of Legal Affairs | Attorney General | list | |
 Sierra Leone | Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice | Attorney General and Minister of Justice | list | |
 Sint Eustatius† | Chief Public Prosecutor | Attorney General (Ministry of Security and Justice) | list | |
 Sint Maarten† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Singapore† | Ministry of Law | Minister of Law | list | |
 Slovakia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Slovenia | Minister of Justice | Ministry of Justice | list | |
 Solomon Islands† | Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs | Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs | list | |
 Somalia† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Somaliland† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 South Africa | Department of Justice and Constitutional Development | Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development | list | |
 South Sudan† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Spain | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Sri Lanka | Ministry of Justice and Legal Reform | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Sudan† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Suriname | Ministry of Justice and Police | Minister of Justice and Police | list | |
 Swaziland (Eswatini) | Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs | Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs | list | |
 Sweden | Ministry of Justice | Minister for Justice | list | |
 Switzerland | Federal Department of Justice and Police | Head, Federal Department of Justice and Police | list | |
 Syria† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Tajikistan† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Tanzania | Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs | Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs | list | |
 Thailand† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Togo | Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | Minister of Justice and Human Rights | list | |
 Tonga | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Trinidad and Tobago | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs | list | |
 Tunisia | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Turkey† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Turkmenistan† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Turks and Caicos Islands | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Tuvalu | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Uganda | Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Ukraine | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 United Arab Emirates† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 United Kingdom | Ministry of Justice | Lord Chancellor Secretary of State for Justice | list | |
| Northern Ireland | Department of Justice | Minister of Justice Attorney General for Northern Ireland | list | |
 Scotland | Learning and Justice Directorates | Cabinet Secretary for Justice | list | |
.svg.jpg){kind=small} Wales† | Counsel General | list | ||
 United States | United States Department of Justice | Attorney General | list | |
 American Samoa† | Department of Legal Affairs | Attorney General | list | |
 Northern Mariana Islands | Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General | list | |
 Puerto Rico | Department of Justice | Attorney General and Secretary of Justice | list | |
 United States Virgin Islands | Department of Justice | Attorney General of the United States Virgin Islands | list | |
 Uzbekistan | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Vanuatu | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Venezuela | Ministry of Popular Power for Interior Relations, Justice and Peace | Minister of Popular Power for Interior Relations, Justice and Peace | list | |
 Vietnam† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Yemen† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Zambia† | Ministry of Justice | Minister of Justice | list | |
 Zimbabwe† | Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs | Minister of Justice | list | |
† Based on available research, these are the countries, states or territories that have yet to appoint a female as the Minister of Justice, Attorney General or equivalent.
See also
- Attorney general
- List of female justice ministers
- List of first women lawyers and judges by nationality
Other topics of interest
- Ministry of Justice (imperial China): A Chinese government ministry between the Sui and Qing dynasties
- Ministry of Justice (pre-modern Japan): A Japanese government ministry between the Asuka and Meiji periods
- Ministry of Justice (Soviet Union): A government ministry of the USSR that existed from 1923 to 1991
- Ministry of Justice (Yugoslavia): The justice ministry that was responsible for the judicial system of the following: Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918-1945), SFR Yugoslavia (1945-1992), and FR Yugoslavia period (1992–2003)
References
- ^ "Ministry of Justice (Defined)". Oxford Learners Dictionaries. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
- ^ "DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Legal Definition)". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
- ^ "History & Art of the Department of Justice | DOJ | Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
- ^ Monaco, Gouvernement Princier de. "La Justice / Les Institutions / Gouvernement et Institutions / Portail du Gouvernement - Monaco". www.gouv.mc (in French). Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^ "Public Prosecutor (Meaning)". Cambridge English Dictionary. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
- ^ "What is ATTORNEY GENERAL? (Definition of ATTORNEY GENERAL in Black's Law Dictionary)". The Law Dictionary. 2011-11-04. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
- ^ "Interior (adjective) - American English definition and synonyms". Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 2018-07-17.