The Honourable Vic Toews

Biography

Vic Toews was first elected to the House of Commons in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 and 2006.  He was named Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on February 6, 2006.  In Opposition, Mr. Toews served as Justice Critic, and was Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on the Process for Appointment to the Judiciary.  He was also a member of numerous subcommittees including ones on National Security, on Agenda and Procedure and on Bill C-17.

Prior to his election to the House of Commons, Mr. Toews was active in Manitoba provincial politics. In 1995, he was elected the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Rossmere and shortly thereafter, he was appointed the Minister of Labour. From 1997 until September 1999, he served as the Attorney General and Minister of Justice for the Province of Manitoba.

Mr. Toews practised law with the Manitoba provincial Department of Justice from 1976 to 1991.

In 1987, Mr. Toews was appointed director of constitutional law for the Province of Manitoba. He acted as legal counsel to the Premier of Manitoba at the Meech Lake Accord discussions in 1990. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991.

He obtained his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Winnipeg, and his law degree at the University of Manitoba. Mr. Toews is married to Lorraine and they have two children.