The Attorney General for Northern Ireland is the chief legal adviser to the
Northern Ireland Executive
The Northern Ireland Executive is the devolved government of Northern Ireland, an administrative branch of the legislature – the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is answerable to the assembly and was initially established according to the ter ...
for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the
Northern Ireland Assembly
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. The Attorney General for Northern Ireland is also responsible for appointing the director and deputy director of the
Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland
The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI) is the department of the Northern Ireland Executive responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in Northern Ireland. It is headed by the Director of ...
.
History
The original post was formed in 1921 with the establishment of the
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended because of its inability to restore ord ...
and was always held by an
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...
MP. A Deputy Attorney General briefly held office in 1946, when the post was held by
Edmond Warnock MP (21 June – 11 September).
The
Attorney General for England and Wales
His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is one of the law officers of the Crown and the principal legal adviser to sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales. The attorney general maintains the Attorney ...
performed the role of Attorney General for Northern Ireland after the prorogation of the
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended because of its inability to restore ord ...
in 1972. These office-holders were always
United Kingdom Government
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, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
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, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
Ministers.
Justice powers were again devolved to the
Northern Ireland Assembly
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, coa_pic = File:NI_Assembly.svg
, coa_res = 250px
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on 12 April 2010, at which point the Attorney General for England and Wales ceased to hold office as Attorney General of Northern Ireland. She instead became
Advocate General for Northern Ireland
The advocate general for Northern Ireland is the chief legal adviser to the Government of the United Kingdom on Northern Ireland law and the post is held by the attorney general for England and Wales by virtue of that office. The advocate general ...
and a vacancy occurred.
John Larkin QC became the first politically independent office-holder, taking office on 24 May 2010,
OFMDFM: Appointment of Attorney General announced, 24 May 2010
when he was appointed by First Minister
A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...
Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness ( ga, Séamus Máirtín Pacelli Mag Aonghusa; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman from Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during ...
.
The role and powers of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland are provided in the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
. The Attorney General is appointed for a term of not more than five years jointly by the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
The First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland are the joint heads of government of the Northern Ireland Executive and have overall responsibility for the running of the Executive Office. Despite the different titles for the two ...
. The Attorney General is permitted to participate in the proceedings of the Assembly, but not to vote.
Office-holders
Devolved government 1921–1972
Colour key (for political parties):
Direct rule 1972–2010
Colour key (for political parties):
Devolved government 2010–present
Colour key (for political parties):
See also
* Law Officers of the Crown
*Advocate General for Northern Ireland
The advocate general for Northern Ireland is the chief legal adviser to the Government of the United Kingdom on Northern Ireland law and the post is held by the attorney general for England and Wales by virtue of that office. The advocate general ...
*Attorney General for England and Wales
His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is one of the law officers of the Crown and the principal legal adviser to sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales. The attorney general maintains the Attorney ...
*Department of Justice (Northern Ireland)
The Department of Justice (Irish: ''An Roinn Dlí agus Cirt'', Ulster-Scots: ''Männystrie o tha Laa'') is a government department in the Northern Ireland Executive, which was established on 12 April 2010 as part of the devolution of justice ...
*Executive Office (Northern Ireland)
The Executive Office is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive. The ministers with overall responsibility for the department are the Firs ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Office of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland
Law of Northern Ireland
Region-specific legal occupations
Political office-holders in Northern Ireland
Legal ethics
Law Officers of the Crown in the United Kingdom