Attorney General Of New South Wales
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The Attorney General of New South Wales, in formal contexts also Attorney-General or Attorney General for New South Wales and usually known simply as the Attorney General, is a minister in the Government of New South Wales who has responsibility for the administration of justice in
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, Australia. In addition, the attorney general is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General,
Crown Advocate Crown advocate is a title used in some former British colonies (and until recently in Britain) for a government prosecutor. In former British Colonies and certain British extraterritorial courts the title is (or was) used by the senior government ...
, and
Crown Solicitor A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
, the attorney general serves as the chief legal and constitutional adviser of the Crown and Government of New South Wales. The current attorney general, since 30 January 2017, is
Mark Speakman Mark Raymond Speakman (born 6 November 1959) is an Australian politician. He has served as the New South Wales Attorney General since January 2017 in the second Berejiklian ministry since April 2019, and in the first arrangement of the Perrot ...
, . The attorney general is supported in the administration of his portfolio by the following ministers, all appointed with effect from 21 December 2021: * the Minister for Police, currently
Paul Toole Paul Lawrence Toole (born 2 August 1970), an Australian politician, is the Deputy Premier and leader of the New South Wales Nationals since October 2021. Toole is the Minister for Regional New South Wales in the second Berejiklian and Perrot ...
* the Minister for Women and Minister for Mental Health, currently Bronnie Taylor * the
Minister for Veterans The minister of state for veterans' affairs is a ministerial position in the Cabinet Office in the British government, currently held by Johnny Mercer who took the office on 25 October 2022. Earlier, it was jointly with the Ministry of Defence. Th ...
, currently David Elliott * the Minister for Women's Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence, currently Natalie Ward * the Minister for Corrections, currently Geoff Lee * the
Minister for Families and Communities The New South Wales Minister for Families and Communities is a minister of the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for social policy and welfare, including matters relating to ageing, disability, multiculturalism, and veterans' a ...
and
Minister for Disability Services Minister for Disability Services is a position in the government of Western Australia, currently held by Stephen Dawson of the Labor Party. The position was first created in 1991, for the government of Carmen Lawrence, and has existed in every g ...
, currently
Natasha Maclaren-Jones Natasha Marianne Maclaren-Jones (born 11 March 1976) is an Australian politician, and is a Liberal Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since March 2011. Maclaren-Jones has served as the Minister for Families and Communities ...
* the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, currently Steph Cooke * the Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Seniors, currently
Mark Coure Mark Joseph Coure is an Australian politician. He is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Oatley for the Liberal Party since 2011 and served in the second Perrottet ministry. Early years and background Coure was e ...
and * the Minister for Regional Youth, currently
Ben Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading intel ...
. The attorney general and the Ministers administer the portfolio through the Stronger Communities
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, in particular the
Department of Communities and Justice The New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice, a government department, department of the Government of New South Wales, is responsible for the delivery of services to some of the most disadvantaged individuals, families and communiti ...
and a range of other government agencies. Ultimately, the attorney general and the Ministers are responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.


History and function

The position of Attorney General has existed since 1824, well before the full establishment of the New South Wales Parliament (in 1856) but coinciding with the establishment of the New South Wales Legislative Council. From the beginning, the attorney general has been the Crown's advisor and representative in legal matters. It was modelled after the office of 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 G ...
. As such the attorney general advises and represents the Crown and government departments in court. The person appointed to this role provides legal advice to the Government, acts as the representative of the public interest and resolves issues between government departments. The attorney general also has supervisory powers over the prosecution of criminal offences, but is not personally involved with prosecutions. Today, prosecutions are carried out by the Public Prosecution Office and most legal advice to government departments is provided by the Government Legal Service, both under the supervision of the attorney general. The attorney general may appeal cases to the higher courts where, although the particular case is settled, there may be a point of law of public importance at issue. The attorney general is responsible to Parliament for activities of the Department of Justice and has responsibility for the all state's courts and tribunals and the appointment of judges, magistrates and statutory officers in New South Wales.


List of ministers


Attorneys general

The following individuals have served as Attorney General of New South Wales:


See also

*
List of New South Wales government agencies The executive branch of the Government of New South Wales, Australia, is made up of a number of departments, state-owned corporations and other agencies. These are identified in the ''Government Sector Employment Act 2013'' and other legislati ...


References


External links


NSW Department of Justice
{{Australian Attorneys-General Attorneys General of New South Wales Attorney
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