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 ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

and

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

in affairs pertaining to

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is En ...

. The attorney general maintains the

Attorney General's 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 ...

and currently attends (but is not a member of) Cabinet. Unlike in other countries employing the

common law In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omniprese ...

legal system, the attorney general does not govern the

administration of justice The administration of justice is the process by which the legal system of a government is executed. The presumed goal of such an administration is to provide justice for all those accessing the legal system. The phrase is also commonly used to d ...

; that function is carried out by the

secretary of state for justice The secretary of state for justice, also referred to as the justice secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the Un ...

and

lord chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

. The incumbent is also concurrently

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 ...

. The position of attorney general has existed since at least 1243, when records show a professional attorney was hired to represent the King's interests in court. The position first took on a political role in 1461 when the holder of the office was summoned to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

to advise the Government there on legal matters. In 1673, the attorney general officially became the Crown's adviser and representative in legal matters, although still specialising in litigation rather than advice. The beginning of the twentieth century saw a shift away from litigation and more towards legal advice. Today, prosecutions are carried out by the

Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal advi ...

and most legal advice to government departments is provided by the Government Legal Department, both under the supervision of the attorney general. Additional duties include superintending the Serious Fraud Office, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, Service Prosecuting Authority, and other government lawyers with the authority to prosecute cases. The attorney general advises the government, individual government departments and individual government ministers on legal matters, answering questions in Parliament and bringing "unduly lenient" sentences and points of law to the

Court of Appeal of England and Wales The Court of Appeal (formally "His Majesty's Court of Appeal in England", commonly cited as "CA", "EWCA" or "CoA") is the highest court within the Senior Courts of England and Wales, and second in the legal system of England and Wales only t ...

. As per the passing of the

Law Officers Act 1997 The Law Officers Act 1997 is an Act of Parliament which allowed the Attorney General for England and Wales and for Northern Ireland to delegate powers to the Solicitor General for England and Wales. Previously, the Solicitor General was separate ...

, duties can be delegated to the Solicitor General, and any actions are treated as if they came from the attorney general. The corresponding shadow minister is the

Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales The Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales is an office within British politics held by a member of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The duty of the office holder is to scrutinise the actions of the Attorney General for England and Wales ...

, and the work of the attorney general is also scrutinised by the

Justice Select Committee The Justice Select Committee of the United Kingdom is a select committee of the House of Commons which scrutinizes the policy, administration, and spending of the Ministry of Justice. In addition, the committee examines the work of the Law Offi ...

History

The origins of the office are unknown, but the earliest record of an "attorney of the crown" is from 1243, when a professional attorney named Laurence Del Brok was paid to prosecute cases for the king, who could not appear in courts where he had an interest.Jones (1969) p. 43 During the early days of the office the holder was largely concerned with representing the Crown in litigation, and held no political role or duties.Jones (1969) p. 45 Although a valuable position, the attorney general was expected to work incredibly hard; although Francis North (1637–1685) was earning £7,000 a year as attorney general he was pleased to give up the office and become

Chief Justice of the Common Pleas The chief justice of the Common Pleas was the head of the Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, which was the second-highest common law court in the English legal system until 1875, when it, along with the othe ...

because of the smaller workload, despite the heavily reduced pay. The office first took on a political element in 1461, when the holder was summoned by writ to the

to advise the government on legal matters. This was also the first time that the office was referred to as the office of the "Attorney General". The custom of summoning the attorney general to the Lords by writ when appointed continues unbroken to this day, although until the appointment of

Lord Williams of Mostyn Gareth Wyn Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, (5 February 1941 – 20 September 2003), was a Welsh barrister and Labour politician who was Leader of the House of Lords, Lord President of the Council and a member of the Cabinet from 2001 until ...

in 1999, no attorney general had sat in the Lords since 1700, and no attorney general had obeyed the writ since 1742.Jones (1969) p. 44 During the sixteenth century, the attorney general was used to pass messages between the

and House of Commons, although he was viewed suspiciously by the Commons and seen as a tool of the Lords and the king. In 1673 the attorney general began to take up a seat in the House of Commons, and since then it has been convention to ensure that all attorneys general are members of the House of Commons or House of Lords, although there is no requirement that they be so. During the constitutional struggle centred on the

Royal Declaration of Indulgence The Royal Declaration of Indulgence was Charles II of England's attempt to extend religious liberty to Protestant nonconformists and Roman Catholics in his realms, by suspending the execution of the Penal Laws that punished recusants from the ...

in 1672 and 1673 the attorney general officially became the Crown's representative in legal matters. In 1890, the ability of an attorney general to continue practising privately was formally taken away, turning the office-holder into a dedicated representative of the government. Since the beginning of the twentieth century the role of the attorney general has moved away from representing the Crown and government directly in court, and it has become more of a political and ministerial post, with the attorney general serving as a legal adviser to both the government as a whole and individual government departments.Jones (1969) p. 46 Despite this change, until the passing of the Homicide Act 1957 the attorney general was bound to prosecute any and all poisoning cases. However, in recent times the attorney general has exceptionally conducted litigation in person before the courts, for instance before the House of Lords in ''

A and Others v Secretary of State for the Home Department ''A and others v Secretary of State for the Home Department'/nowiki> UKHL 56] (also known as the ''Belmarsh 9'' case) is a UK human rights case heard before the House of Lords. It held that the indefinite detention of foreign prisoners in Belm ...

'', where the legality of the government's detention of terrorist suspects at Belmarsh was at issue.

Role and duties

The attorney general is currently not a Cabinet minister, but is designated as also attending Cabinet. The rule that no attorney general may be a cabinet minister is a Constitutional convention (political custom), political convention rather than a law, and for a short time the attorney general did sit in cabinet, starting with Sir Rufus Isaacs in 1912 and ending with Douglas Hogg in 1928. There is nothing that prohibits attorneys general from attending meetings of the Cabinet, and on occasion they have been asked to attend meetings to advise the government on the best course of action legally. Despite this it is considered preferable to exclude attorneys general from cabinet meetings so as to draw a distinct line between them and the political decisions on which they are giving legal advice. As a government minister, the attorney general is directly answerable to Parliament.Jones (1969) p. 49 The attorney general is also the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government, and has the primary role of advising the government on any legal repercussions of their actions, either orally at meetings or in writing. As well as the government as a whole, they also advise individual departments. Although the primary role is no longer one of litigation, the attorney general still represents the Crown and government in court in some select, particularly important cases, and chooses the Treasury Counsel who handle most government legal cases.Jones (1969) p. 48 By convention, they represent the government in every case in front of the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordan ...

. The attorney general also superintends the

and appoints its head, the

Director of Public Prosecutions The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members o ...

. Decisions to prosecute are taken by the Crown Prosecution Service other than in exceptional cases i.e. where the attorney general's consent is required by statute or in cases relating to national security. An example of a consent case is the Campbell Case, which led to the fall of the first Labour government in 1924.Jones (1969) p. 50 The attorney general also superintends the Government Legal Department and the Serious Fraud Office. The attorney general also has powers to bring "unduly lenient" sentences and points of law to the

Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much ...

, issue writs of ''

nolle prosequi , abbreviated or , is legal Latin meaning "to be unwilling to pursue".Nolle prosequi
. ref ...

'' to cancel criminal prosecutions, supervise other prosecuting bodies (such as DEFRA) and advise individual ministers facing legal action as a result of their official actions. They are responsible for making applications to the court restraining vexatious litigants, and may intervene in litigation to represent the interests of charity, or the public interest in certain family law cases. They are also officially the leader of the

Bar of England and Wales Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. Barristers have traditionally had the role of handling cases for representation in court, both defence and prosecutio ...

, although this is merely custom and has no duties or rights attached to it. The attorney general's duties have long been considered strenuous, with Sir

Patrick Hastings Sir Patrick Gardiner Hastings (17 March 1880 – 26 February 1952) was an English barrister and politician noted for his long and highly successful career as a barrister and his short stint as Attorney General. He was educated at Charterhouse ...

saying that "to be a law officer is to be in hell". Since the passing of the

, any duties of the attorney general can be delegated to the

Solicitor General for England and Wales His Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, known informally as the Solicitor General, is one of the law officers of the Crown in the government of the United Kingdom. They are the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to ad ...

, and their actions are treated as coming from the attorney general.Elliott (2008) p. 249 The job of the attorney general is highly demanding, and Sir Patrick Hastings wrote while serving that "to be a law officer is to be in hell".

List of attorneys general

13th century

*William of Boneville (1277–1278) * William de Giselham (1278–1279) * Gilbert de Thornton (1279–1280) *Alanus of Walkingham (1280–1281) *John le Fawconer (1281–1284) *William of Selby (1284–1286) * Gilbert de Thornton (1286–1286) *

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

(1286–1289) *John de Bosco (1289–1290), also called John de Boys *

and Hugo de Louther (1291–1293) *John de Mutford (1293–1299) *Nicholas de Warwick (1299)

14th century

*John de Cestria (1300–1301) *John de Mutford (1301–1308) *Matthew de Scacarrio (1308–1312) *John de Norton (1312–1315) *William de Langley (1315–1318) *Adam de Fyneham (1318–1320) *Galfridus de Scrope (1320–1322) *Galfridus de Fyngale (1322–1324) *Adam de Fyneham (1324–1327) *William of Merston (26 February 1327 – 1327) *Alexander de Hadenham and Adam de Fyneham (1327–1328) *Richard of Aldeburgh (1329–1334) *Simon of Trewythosa (c. 1334) *William of Hepton (1334–1338) *John of Lincoln (28 May 1338 – 4 August 1338) *John of Clone (4 August 1338 – 1338) *William of Merington (1338–1339) *John of Clone (1339–1342) *William of Thorpe (1342–1343) *John of Lincoln (1343–1343) *John of Clone (1343–1349) *Simon of Kegworth (1349–1353) *Henry of Greystok (1353–1356) *

John of Gaunt John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was an English royal prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the fourth son (third to survive infancy as William of Hatfield died shortly after birth) of King Edward ...

(1356 – 4 May 1360) *Richard of Fryseby (4 May 1360 – 1362) *William (or possibly Robert) of Pleste (1362–1363) *William of Nessefield (1363 – 9 November 1366) *Thomas of Shardelow (9 November 1366 – 20 May 1367) *John of Ashwell (20 May 1367 – 1367) *Michael Skilling (1367–1378) *Thomas of Shardelow (1378–1381) *William Ellis (1381–1381) *Laurence Dru (1381–1384) *William of Horneby (1384–1386) *Edmund Brudnell (1386–1398) *Thomas Coveley (1398 – 30 September 1399) *William of Lodington (30 September 1399 – 1401)

15th century

*Thomas Coveley (1401 – 13 July 1407) *Thomas Dereham (13 July 1407 – 17 August 1407) *Roger Hunt (17 August 1407 – 1410) *Thomas Tickhill (1410 – 16 January 1414) * William Babington (16 January 1414 – 1420) *William Babthorpe (1420 – 28 October 1429) *John Vampage (28 October 1429 – 30 June 1452) * William of Nottingham (30 June 1452 – 12 August 1461) *John Herbert (12 August 1461 – 1461) *Henry Sothill (1461 – 16 June 1471) * William Hussey (16 June 1471 – 7 May 1481) *

William Huddesfield Sir William Huddesfield (died 1499) of Shillingford St George in Devon, was Attorney General for England and Wales to Kings Edward IV (1461–1483) and Henry VII (1485–1509). He built the tower of St George's Church, Shillingford. Origins He ...

(7 May 1481 – 28 May 1483) *Morgan Kidwelly (28 May 1483 – 20 September 1485) *

William Hody Sir William Hody (born before 1441, died 1524) of Pilsdon in Dorset,Heraldic Visitation of Dorset 1565, p.21 was an English lawyer, judge and politician who served as Attorney General of England and Chief Baron of the Exchequer under King Hen ...

(20 September 1485 – 3 November 1486) *James Hobart (3 November 1486 – April 1509)

16th century

* John Ernley (April 1509 – 26 January 1518) * John Fitz-James (26 January 1518 – February 1522) * John Roper (February 1522 – 1 April 1524) * Ralph Swillington (1 April 1524 – August 1525) * Richard Lyster (August 1525 – 3 June 1529) *

Christopher Hales Sir Christopher Hales (died 1541) was an English judge and Master of the Rolls. Family The family of Hales was a most ancient one, deriving its name from Hales in Norfolk, where the ancestor of the father of Roger de Hales (1274–1313), Ralph d ...

(3 June 1529 – 10 July 1535) *Sir John Baker (10 July 1535 – 8 November 1540) *

William Whorwood Sir William Whorwood (c.1500 – 28 May 1545) was a landowner in Staffordshire and the neighbouring counties, a distinguished lawyer, and a politician in the reign of Henry VIII. He achieved the positions of Solicitor General and Attorney Gen ...

(8 November 1540 – 8 June 1545) * Henry Bradshaw (8 June 1545 – 21 May 1552) * Edward Griffin (21 May 1552 – 22 January 1559) * Gilbert Gerard (22 January 1559 – 1 June 1581) * John Popham (1 June 1581 – 2 June 1592) * Thomas Egerton (2 June 1592 – 10 April 1594) *

Edward Coke Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...

(10 April 1594 – 4 July 1606)

17th century

* Henry Hobart (4 July 1606 – 27 October 1613) *

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

(27 October 1613 – 12 March 1617) * Henry Yelverton (12 March 1617 – 11 January 1621) * Thomas Coventry (11 January 1621 – 31 October 1625) * Robert Heath (31 October 1625 – 27 October 1631) * William Noy (27 October 1631 – 27 September 1634) * John Bankes (27 September 1634 – 29 January 1641) * Edward Herbert (29 January 1641 – 3 November 1645) * Thomas Gardiner (royalist) (3 November 1645 – 1649) *

Oliver St John Sir Oliver St John (; c. 1598 – 31 December 1673) was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640-53. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War. Early life St John was the son of Oliver S ...

(parliamentary) (May 1644 – 10 January 1649) * William Steele (commonwealth) (10 January 1649 – 9 April 1649) * Edmund Prideaux (commonwealth) (9 April 1649 – 1659) * Robert Reynolds (commonwealth) (1659 – 31 May 1660) * Edward Herbert (in exile) (1649–1653) * Geoffrey Palmer (31 May 1660 – 10 May 1670) * Heneage Finch (10 May 1670 – 12 November 1673) * Francis North (12 November 1673 – 25 January 1675) * William Jones (25 January 1675 – 27 October 1679) *

Creswell Levinz Sir Creswell Levinz (1627–1701), judge, was the second son of William Levinz, the elder, of Evenley, Northamptonshire, by Mary, second daughter of Richard Creswell of Purston in the same county. He was the brother of Baptist Levinz and William ...

(27 October 1679 – 24 February 1681) * Robert Sawyer (24 February 1681 – 13 December 1687) * Thomas Powys (13 December 1687 – December 1688) * Henry Pollexfen (March 1689 – 4 May 1689) * George Treby (4 May 1689 – 3 May 1692) * John Somers (3 May 1692 – 30 March 1693) * Edward Ward (30 March 1693 – 8 June 1695) * Thomas Trevor (8 June 1695 – 28 June 1701)

18th century

* Edward Northey (28 June 1701 – 26 April 1707) * Simon Harcourt (26 April 1707 – 22 October 1708) * James Montagu (22 October 1708 – 19 September 1710) * Simon Harcourt (19 September 1710 – 19 October 1710) * Edward Northey (19 October 1710 – 18 March 1718) * Nicholas Lechmere (18 March 1718 – 7 May 1720) * Robert Raymond (7 May 1720 – 1 February 1724) * Philip Yorke (1 February 1724 – January 1734) * John Willes (January 1734 – 28 January 1737) * Dudley Ryder (28 January 1737 – May 1754) * William Murray (May 1754 – 3 November 1756) * Robert Henley (3 November 1756 – 1 July 1757) *

Charles Pratt Charles Pratt (October 2, 1830 – May 4, 1891) was an American businessman. Pratt was a pioneer of the U.S. petroleum industry, and he established his kerosene refinery Astral Oil Works in Brooklyn, New York. He then lived with his growing fam ...

(1 July 1757 – 25 January 1762) * Charles Yorke (25 January 1762 – 16 December 1763) *

Fletcher Norton Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, PC (23 June 1716 – 1 January 1789) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1756 to 1782 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Grantley. Life Norton was the eldest s ...

(16 December 1763 – 17 September 1765) * Charles Yorke (17 September 1765 – 6 August 1766) * William de Grey (6 August 1766 – 26 January 1771) * Edward Thurlow (26 January 1771 – 11 June 1778) * Alexander Wedderburn (11 June 1778 – 21 July 1780) * James Wallace (21 July 1780 – 18 April 1782) * Lloyd Kenyon (18 April 1782 – 2 May 1783) * James Wallace (2 May 1783 – November 1783) (died in office) * John Lee (22 November 1783 – 19 December 1783) * Lloyd Kenyon (26 December 1783 – 31 March 1784) * Richard Arden (31 March 1784 – 28 June 1788) *

Archibald Macdonald Sir Archibald Macdonald, 1st Baronet (13 July 1747 – 18 May 1826) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. Early life He was the posthumous son of Sir Alexander Macdonald, 7th Baronet, and younger brother of the 8th baronet (see Baron Ma ...

(28 June 1788 – 14 February 1793) * John Scott (14 February 1793 – 18 July 1799) * John Mitford (18 July 1799 – 14 February 1801)

19th century

Colour key (for political parties):
* Edward Law (14 February 1801 – 15 April 1802) *

Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval (1 November 1762 – 11 May 1812) was a British statesman and barrister who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. Perceval is the only British prime minister to ...

(15 April 1802 – 12 February 1806) *

Arthur Piggott Sir Arthur Leary Piggott (19 October 1749 – 6 September 1819) was an English lawyer and Whig MP. He was born in the parish of St Michael, Barbados, the son of John Piggott of Grenada, and trained for the law at the Middle Temple, being ca ...

(12 February 1806 – 1 April 1807) * Vicary Gibbs (1 April 1807 – 26 June 1812) * Thomas Plumer (26 June 1812 – 4 May 1813) *

William Garrow Sir William Garrow (13 April 1760 – 24 September 1840) was an English barrister, politician and judge known for his indirect reform of the advocacy system, which helped usher in the adversarial court system used in most common law nations to ...

(4 May 1813 – 7 May 1817) * Samuel Shepherd (7 May 1817 – 24 July 1819) * Robert Gifford (24 July 1819 – 9 January 1824) *

John Singleton Copley John Singleton Copley (July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815) was an Anglo-American painter, active in both colonial America and England. He was probably born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Anglo-Irish. Afte ...

(9 January 1824 – 20 September 1826) *

Charles Wetherell Sir Charles Wetherell (1770 – 17 August 1846) was an English lawyer, politician and judge. Wetherell was born in Oxford, the third son of Reverend Nathan Wetherell, of Durham, Master of the University College and Vice-Chancellor of the Unive ...

(20 September 1826 – 27 April 1827) * James Scarlett (27 April 1827 – 19 February 1828) *

(19 February 1828 – 29 June 1829) * James Scarlett (29 June 1829 – 19 November 1830) * Thomas Denman (24 November 1830 – 26 November 1832) * William Horne (26 November 1832 – 1 March 1834) * John Campbell (1 March 1834 – 14 November 1834) * Frederick Pollock (17 December 1834 – 8 April 1835) * John Campbell (30 April 1835 – 3 July 1841) * Thomas Wilde (3 July 1841 – 30 August 1841) * Frederick Pollock (6 September 1841 – 15 April 1844) *

William Webb Follett Sir William Webb Follett (2 December 179628 June 1845) was an English lawyer and politician who served as MP for Exeter (1835–1845). He served twice as Solicitor-General, in 1834-5 and 1841 and as Attorney-General in 1844. He was knighted i ...

(15 April 1844 – 29 June 1845) * Frederic Thesiger (29 June 1845 – 27 June 1846) * Thomas Wilde (7 July 1846 – 17 July 1846) * John Jervis (17 July 1846 – 11 July 1850) * John Romilly (11 July 1850 – 28 March 1851) *

Alexander Cockburn Alexander Claud Cockburn ( ; 6 June 1941 – 21 July 2012) was a Scottish-born Irish-American political journalist and writer. Cockburn was brought up by British parents in Ireland, but lived and worked in the United States from 1972. Together ...

(28 March 1851 – 21 February 1852) * Frederic Thesiger (27 February 1852 – 17 December 1852) *

(28 December 1852 – 15 November 1856) * Richard Bethell (15 November 1856 – 21 February 1858) * Fitzroy Kelly (21 February 1858 – 11 June 1859) * Richard Bethell (18 June 1859 – 4 July 1861)

20th century

Colour key (for political parties):

21st century