Ontario. Official Guardian's Branch

Identity area

Type of entity

Lower-level Ontario government office (type C)

Authorized form of name

Ontario. Official Guardian's Branch

Parallel form(s) of name

    Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

    • Official Guardian's Branch

    Other form(s) of name

    • Ontario. Office of the Official Guardian

    • Ontario. Office of the Children's Lawyer

    Identifiers for corporate bodies

    Description area

    Dates of existence

    1881-

    History

    The Office of the Official Guardian was formally established within the Ontario Department of the Attorney General in 1881. In 1964, the various branches and offices of this Department were grouped into divisions and the Official Guardian's Branch was placed within the Administration of Justice Division. Although the Department of the Attorney General was renamed the Department of Justice in 1969, and then replaced with the Ministry of the Attorney General in 1972, the Official Guardian's Branch remained within the Administration of Justice Division of both of these agencies during these changes. In 1973, however, the Official Guardians Branch was transferred to the Crown Law Office where it remained until 1975; in that year it was moved to the Common Legal Services Division. In 1979, it was again transferred, this time to the Civil Law Division. The Official Guardian's Branch was renamed the Office of the Children's Lawyer in 1997 and moved to the Social Justice Services Division.

    Places

    Legal status

    Functions, occupations and activities

    The Official Guardian's Branch represents the property rights of children and the unborn in matters relating to estates, trusts, civil litigation and audits. The branch becomes involved when individuals, who are responsible for the legal rights and obligations of children or the mentally incompetent, are unable or unwilling to act.

    Address

    Internal structures/genealogy

    General context

    Relationships area

    Related entity

    Ontario. Dept. of the Attorney General (1791-1969)

    Identifier of related entity

    AA28

    Category of relationship

    hierarchical

    Type of relationship

    Ontario. Dept. of the Attorney General controls Ontario. Official Guardian's Branch

    Dates of relationship

    1881-1969

    Description of relationship

    Related entity

    Ontario. Dept. of Justice (1969-1972)

    Identifier of related entity

    AA73

    Category of relationship

    hierarchical

    Type of relationship

    Ontario. Dept. of Justice controls Ontario. Official Guardian's Branch

    Dates of relationship

    1969-1972

    Description of relationship

    Related entity

    Ontario. Ministry of the Attorney General (1972-)

    Identifier of related entity

    AA72

    Category of relationship

    hierarchical

    Type of relationship

    Ontario. Ministry of the Attorney General controls Ontario. Official Guardian's Branch

    Dates of relationship

    1972-

    Description of relationship

    Access points area

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Epithet

    Control area

    Authority record identifier

    CA216

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

    Status

    For Review

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation, revision and deletion

    2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Annual Reports of the Ministry of the Attorney General, 1974-1992

        Ontario Government Telephone Directories, 1970-1996

        Directory and Guide to Ontario Government Services, 1948-1967

        KWIC Indexes, 1977-1997

        Maintenance notes

        Agency not found in Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

        Archivist(s):
        R. Anger