Attorney General
From ArticleWorld
An Attorney General(A-G) is the chief law officer of a country or state and the person who holds the position of secretary of the Justice Department. In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government apart from having executive responsibility for law enforcement. In England the A-G is head of the Bar Association.
Position in different States
In Australia the A-G is the member of the cabinet and holds the post of minister for legal affairs. In turn, each state in Australia also has an A-G who is a minister in the state cabinet. The A-G has, among his other responsibilities, the right to nominate persons to judicial posts and authorize prosecutions. The A-G holds the position of the chief law officer in England advising the Crown and the government and representing them in court. In Canada the post of minister of justice and the post of A-G is held by one person.
In Brazil, the A-G is a very powerful personality. Apart from advising the President and holding the position of head of the prosecution service, the Attorney General heads a group of independent magistrates who prosecute both criminal and civil offenders who commit crimes against the environment and the society in general.
Between 1973 and 1998, the A-G of England also acted as the A-G of Northern Ireland, but since then Northern Ireland has an Attorney General who holds independent charge. The Attorney General of Hong Kong, or the Secretary of Justice as he is called since 1997, is the chief law advisor to the government. In Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand and Ireland the A-G has by and large the same powers as elsewhere.
The A-G of India is the principal lawyer in the Supreme Court and the chief advisor of the government, by whom he is appointed. He is not a political appointee and does not have the right to vote in parliament.
In America the post of the Attorney General was created in 1789. Here, the A-G is a member of the Cabinet and head of the Department of Justice. He/she is appointed by the President and is top law enforcement officer of the Country. The state Attorney Generals are elected through casting of votes.