Sixth Annual Meeting of Quintet of Attorneys General Concludes: Minister of Justice Pleased With the Quality of Discussions and Exchanges With His Counterparts

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - July 11, 2014) - Justice Canada

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Peter MacKay today concluded two days of group discussions and bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. This constructive collaboration around issues of common interest constituted the 6^th annual meeting of the Quintet of Attorneys General.

Since its first meeting in 2009, the Quintet has proven to be a productive and effective forum for cooperation among the principal legal officers of Canada's key international partners. For the first day and a half of the conference, the group met as a whole for a series of discussions focussing specifically on cybercrime, as well as other issues of mutual concern.

Day three of the event consisted of a series of one-on-one bilateral meetings between Minister MacKay and the other Attorneys General in attendance. The group also had the opportunity to meet with senior officials from the justice system and the judiciary in the United Kingdom.

Quick Facts:

• Minister MacKay was joined at the Quintet meeting by:
  • Senator the Honourable George Brandis Q.C., Attorney General (Australia)
  • The Honourable Christopher Finlayson, Q.C., Attorney General (New Zealand)
  • The Right Honourable Dominic Grieve, Q.C., M.P., Attorney General (United Kingdom)
  • Eric Holder, Attorney General (United States of America).
• Previous meetings of the Quintet have been held in London, England (November 2009), Washington, D.C. (April 2010), Sydney, Australia (July 2011), Ottawa (June 2012) and Auckland, New Zealand (May 2013).

Related Links:

Five countries unite over cybercrime

Quotes

"The justice and legal systems of the five countries represented are certainly among the finest in the world. However, there is always room for improvement through the sharing of experiences and knowledge. We have a responsibility to work together to find new and innovative ways to protect our citizens, especially in the context of the fast-paced, ever-changing environment we must navigate today. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to learn from my insightful and dedicated colleagues, and to share with some of our closest allies the many strengths of Canada's system of justice."

Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

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