Attorney General's Office
Department overview
JurisdictionUnited Kingdom, mainly England and Wales and Northern Ireland
Headquarters20 Victoria Street, London, England
Annual budget£600 million & no capital expenditure for Law Officers' Departments in 2017/18[1]
Ministers responsible
Websitewww.gov.uk/government/organisations/attorney-generals-office

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is a department of His Majesty's Government that supports the Attorney General and their deputy, the Solicitor General (together, the Law officers of the Crown in England and Wales). It is sometimes referred to as the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers.

The administration and expenditure of the Attorney General's Office are scrutinised by the Justice Select Committee.[2]

Organisation

The AGO is one of the smallest UK government departments, with around 40 staff. It is one of "the Law Officers’ Departments" along with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Government Legal Department. The Treasury Solicitor acts as Accounting Officer for the AGO.

The AGO provides legal advice and support to the Law Officers who themselves provide legal advice to the government, and works with the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office to develop criminal justice policy.[3]

Ministers

The Law Officers in England and Wales are as follows:[4]

Minister Rank Portfolio
The Rt Hon. Victoria Prentis MP Attorney General
Advocate General for Northern Ireland		 Chief legal adviser to the Crown; the Crown Prosecution Service; the Serious Fraud Office; His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate; the Government Legal Department

Other responsibilities include: acting as principal legal adviser on questions of EU and international law, human rights and devolution issues; referring unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal; bringing proceedings for contempt of court intervening in certain proceedings to protect charities; dealing with questions of law arising on government Bills; legal aspects of all major international and domestic litigation involving the government.

Robert Courts MP Solicitor General deputising for the Attorney General and being responsible for such matters as the Attorney General delegates; providing support to the Attorney General in his superintendence of the Government Legal Department, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Service Prosecuting Authority, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and the Serious Fraud Office; providing support to the Attorney General on civil litigation and advice on civil law matters and on the public interest function.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Autumn Budget 2017 (PDF). London: HM Treasury. 22 November 2017. pp. 25–26. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Role - Justice Committee". parliament.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2021. The Justice Committee was appointed by the House of Commons to examine the... administration and expenditure of the Attorney General's Office
  3. ↑ "Attorney General's Office - About us". Gov.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "Our ministers". GOV.UK. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
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