Director of Public Prosecutions

George Dolhai received his Bachelor of Law (cum laude) from the University of Western Ontario in 1987 and completed his Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge in 1992.

He became a Federal Crown Attorney at the Department of Justice (JUS) where he specialized in the prosecution of routine and complex criminal litigation. After practicing in the Human Rights Law Section, Mr. Dolhai transitioned to the role of Counsel in the Strategic Prosecution Policy Section within JUS where he advised senior leadership on matters related to prosecutorial policies and legislative initiatives in relation to criminal law, including the first criminal organization provisions and the Preclearance Act.

In 1999, Mr. Dolhai transitioned to the role of Senior Counsel in JUS’s National Security Group where he provided advice on national security matters, and participated in all stages of the development, interpretation and implementation of notable legislation, including the revision of the criminal organization offences and the Anti-terrorism Act, 2001.

In 2003, Mr. Dolhai was promoted to Senior General Counsel and Director of the Strategic Prosecution Policy Section at JUS’s Federal Prosecution Service, where he provided legal advice to the Attorney General (AG), Deputy AG, Assistant Deputy Attorney General, and to partner agencies, including the RCMP, on various criminal law-related issues. While at JUS, he appeared as counsel for the AG before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Dolhai joined the PPSC when it was created in December 2006 as the Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP), and appointed DDPP in 2012. He was instrumental in establishing and operationalizing the organization, including the elaboration and management of the PPSC’s governance structure and prosecutions relating to national security.

Date modified:

2024-06-21