Solicitor general
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A solicitor general or solicitor-general, in common law countries, is usually a legal officer who is the chief representative of a regional or national government in courtroom proceedings. In systems that have an attorney-general (or equivalent position), the solicitor general is often the second-ranked law officer of the state and a deputy of the attorney-general. The extent to which a solicitor general actually provides legal advice to or represents the government in court varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and sometimes between individual office holders in the same jurisdiction.
List
[edit]Solicitors General include the following:
Australia
[edit]- In Australia the role of the Solicitor-General is as the second law officer after the Attorney-General. At federal level, the position of Solicitor-General of Australia was created in 1916 and until 1964 was held by the secretary of the Attorney-General's Department. It has always been held by a public servant. At state (and prior to 1901, colonial) level, the position has existed since the granting of self-government in the 19th century, and until the early 20th century was held by a member of parliament. During the 20th century there have been significant changes to the role, becoming increasingly independent and non-political to balance the increasing political engagement of the Attorney-General. Criminal litigation has largely been devolved to the various Directors of Public Prosecution. The Solicitor-General provides legal advice to the executive and represents the relevant government in court proceedings, particularly in constitutional matters.[1]
- Solicitor-General of Australia
- Solicitor-General of the Australian Capital Territory
- Solicitor General for New South Wales
- Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory
- Solicitor-General of Queensland
- Solicitor-General of South Australia
- Solicitor-General of Tasmania
- Solicitor-General of Victoria
- Solicitor-General of Western Australia
Canada
[edit]- Solicitor General of Canada, a role now performed by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- Solicitor General of Ontario, responsible for police and other law enforcement agencies in the province of Ontario
United Kingdom
[edit]- In the United Kingdom:
- Solicitor General for England and Wales, the deputy for the Attorney General for England and Wales
- Solicitor General for Scotland, the deputy of the Lord Advocate of Scotland
- Solicitor General to the Duchy of Cornwall, one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster
United States
[edit]- Solicitor General of the United States, the federal government's primary advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court
- In U.S. state governments, the Solicitor General is a high-level legal official who argues in court — often in the U.S. Supreme Court or in the federal United States courts of appeals — on behalf of the State, its executives and officials, and its legislature. The position of state solicitor general appeared in the late 20th century, and not all states have a solicitor general. State Solicitors General include, among others
- Solicitor General of Alabama, the top appellate advocate in the State of Alabama.[2]
- Solicitor General of Florida, the top appellate advocate for the State of Florida[3]
- Solicitor General of Hawaii, the top appellate advocate in the State of Hawaii
- Solicitor General of Michigan, the top appellate advocate for the State of Michigan
- Solicitor General of Missouri, the top appellate advocate for the State of Missouri.
- State Solicitor of New Jersey, the top appellate advocate in the State of New Jersey
- Solicitor General of New York, the top appellate advocate in the State of New York
- Solicitor General of Ohio, the top appellate advocate in the State of Ohio
- Solicitor General of Texas, the top appellate advocate in the State of Texas
- Solicitor General of Vermont, the top appellate advocate in the State of Vermont[4]
- Solicitor General of Washington, the top appellate advocate in the State of Washington.[5]
- Solicitor General of West Virginia, the top appellate advocate in the State of West Virginia.[6]
- Though not a state, the District of Columbia also has an Office of the Solicitor General.[7]
Other countries
[edit]- In the British West Indies:
- Solicitor General of Leeward Islands
- Solicitor General of Barbados
- Solicitor-General of Belize, a law officer of the government of Belize, subordinate to the Attorney-General of Belize
- Solicitor General of Grenada
- Solicitor-General (Fiji), the Chief Executive Officer of the Attorney-General's Chambers, and as such assists the Attorney-General in advising the government on legal matters, and in performing legal work for the government
- Solicitor General of Hong Kong, until 1979, deputy to the Attorney-General; since 1981, head of the Legal Policy Division of the Department of Justice (Chinese: 律政司) in Hong Kong
- Solicitor General of India, Attorney General of India
- Solicitor-General for Ireland, deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, until 1922
- Solicitor-General of New Zealand, the second law officer of state and public servant representing the Attorney-General in court proceedings
- Solicitor-General of the Philippines
- Solicitor General of Sri Lanka, the deputy for the Attorney General for Sri Lanka
- Solicitor-General of Singapore, formerly the deputy of the Attorney-General of Singapore, now subordinate to the Deputy Attorney-General of Singapore.
See also
[edit]- Attorney general, the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions the attorney general may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions
- Justice of the peace, sometimes used with the same meaning
- Law officers of the Crown, the chief legal advisers to the Crown, and advise and represent the various governments in the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms
- Solicitor, a lawyer who traditionally deals with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in court
- Solicitor (South Carolina), a state elected position equivalent to a district attorney in many other states
References
[edit]- ^ Appleby, Gabrielle (28 September 2012). "The Constitutional Role of the Solicitor-General: An Historical, Legal and Lived Portrait" (PDF). Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Office of The Attorney General - ALABAMA". ago.alabama.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- ^ "Florida Attorney General - Solicitor General". myfloridalegal.com. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ "Bridget Asay appointed solicitor general of Vermont". VTDigger. 19 April 2015.
- ^ "Solicitor General's Office | Washington State". www.atg.wa.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- ^ "Lindsay S. See appointed as West Virginia's new solicitor general". WVNS. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- ^ "About the Office of the Solicitor General | Attorney General Karl A. Racine". oag.dc.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-15.