5 Things You Need to Know About the Attorney General: If you think that an attorney general’s role is limited to the United States, think again! In most countries, the attorney general takes the place of the attorney and solicitor general, though it may have other titles depending on its jurisdiction. As you can see from this list of five things you need to know about the attorney general, this position holds great power within many countries and therefore deserves your respect and attention. Below are some tips to help you understand more about what this person does, who they are, and how they can impact your life both directly and indirectly.
1) An AG is always a lawyer
In some countries, especially those with a British background (like Australia), an Attorney General can be a career politician or even a political appointee rather than a lawyer. Australia’s AG was previously appointed by the Governor-General of Australia on recommendation from the Prime Minister until changes were made in 2007. While it is common for an Attorney General in many other countries to be a non-lawyers, US attorneys general are almost always lawyers. The only exception was Charles Joseph Bonaparte (1802–1851), who held office from 1857–to 1861 and was also a politician and diplomat by profession.
2) An AG prosecutes criminals
The Attorney General, also known as a state’s attorney general or attorney general for short, is typically charged with managing and overseeing criminal prosecution. The main function of an AG is to ensure justice and fairness are served when crimes are committed in a specific jurisdiction. While not every state in America elects an AG, most do and often it’s either someone highly regarded within their judicial system or someone who has held another office within their government before the election (ex: Governor). The AG doesn’t just have the power within their jurisdiction either; they have limited jurisdiction that extends nationwide when it comes to cases involving corporations crossing state lines or people having crimes committed against them that span multiple states.
3) In some countries, an AG also acts as an advisor to the head of state
An AG is appointed by a President or a Prime Minister, and their primary responsibility is to serve as legal counsel for their employer. In countries like Egypt, Spain, Italy, and Brazil, an AG also has supervisory powers over other law enforcement agencies. The American equivalent of an AG is known as an Attorney General. In some states in America, such as California and Arizona, there are multiple attorneys general; in these cases, one attorney will act as chief counsel for another state’s attorney general. For example, One attorney general can be responsible for civil issues while another handles criminal matters.
4) There are two kinds of Attorney Generals
Federal and State. These are two separate offices with two different sets of duties and responsibilities. In federal systems, there is an attorney general at a national level, whereas in most states there are several regional or state-level attorney generals that deal with issues within their jurisdiction such as consumer protection, securities regulation, civil rights, or antitrust matters. Each one of these positions has different duties based on who appoints them and what their jurisdiction is. To understand what it takes to be a good attorney general you should know a bit about both types of roles.
5) Some governments do not have an AG at all
In some countries, there is no specialized law enforcement authority or central public prosecutor’s office. Even in those countries that do have an AG or similar office, it may not be fully independent of other government branches. For example, in some countries, Attorney General refers to the chief public prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer in a given jurisdiction rather than a separate government official. In other jurisdictions, notably, civil law countries such as Belgium, Italy, and France, public prosecutors are sections of courts rather than individual officials.
