Coordinating with International Allies

Attorney General Eric Holder was in Ottawa today for meetings with Attorneys General and Justice Ministers from Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Today’s meeting of the Quintet of Attorneys General was the fourth to be held since the inaugural Quintet meeting in the United Kingdom in 2009 and the first to be hosted in Canada. The Attorneys General discussed legal issues of mutual interest, including cybercrime, national security and legal cooperation.

Continuing their discussion from last year’s Quintet meeting in Sydney, the Attorneys General discussed ways that law enforcement agencies could improve their ability to combat terrorism, cybercrime, and transnational organized crime — including through mutual legal assistance. The global nature of these crimes makes cooperation with our key allies a critical component of response efforts.

Discussions on cybercrime, forced marriages, digital copyright enforcement, data protection and deferred prosecution agreements were also held.

The 2012 Quintet was attended by:

 •Eric H. Holder, Jr. – Attorney General, United States of America       

 •Hon. Rob Nicholson P.C., Q.C., M.P. – Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

 •Hon. Chris Finlayson – Attorney General, New Zealand

 •Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieve Q.C., M.P. – Attorney General, United Kingdom

 •Hon. Jason Clare, M.P. – Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, Australia, representing the Attorney-General of Australia