The attorney-general of Australia (AG), also known as the Commonwealth Attorney-General, is the minister of state and chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia charged with overseeing federal legal affairs and public security as the head of the Attorney-General’s Department. The current attorney-general is Michelle Rowland, who was chosen by prime minister Anthony Albanese in May 2025 following the 2025 federal election. By convention, the attorney-general is a lawyer.
The attorney-general is one of only four positions in the Commonwealth Government to have continuously been held since federation, along with the prime minister, the minister for defence and the treasurer.
History Every permanent attorney-general has been a person with legal training, and eleven former attorneys-general have received senior judicial appointments after their ministerial service.
Billy Hughes was the longest-serving attorney-general of Australia, serving for thirteen and a half years over four non-consecutive terms; this included six years during his own prime ministership.
Historically, the attorney-generalship was seen as a stepping stone to higher office – Alfred Deakin, Billy Hughes, and Robert Menzies all became prime minister, while John Latham, H. V. Evatt, and Billy Snedden were leaders of the opposition. Lionel Bowen was deputy prime minister under Bob Hawke in the 1980s. Additionally, four former attorneys-general have won appointment to the High Court – Isaac Isaacs, H. B. Higgins, John Latham, Garfield Barwick, and Lionel Murphy. Isaacs later became governor-general.
Role and functions
Role The attorney-general is the minister responsible for legal affairs, national and public security. The attorney-general also serves as a general legal adviser to the Cabinet, and has carriage of legislation dealing with copyright, human rights and a range of other subjects. They are responsible for the Australian Law Reform Commission among other agencies.
Functions Functions of the state and federal attorneys-general include the administration of the selection of persons for nomination to judicial posts and the authorizing of prosecutions. In normal circumstances, the prosecutorial powers of the attorney-general are exercised by the Director of Public Prosecutions and staff; however, the attorney-general maintains formal control—including the power to initiate and terminate public prosecutions and take over private prosecutions.
Statutory criminal law provides that prosecutions for certain offences require the individual consent of the attorney-general. This is generally for offences whose illegality is of a somewhat controversial nature or where there is perceived to be a significant risk that prosecutions of a political nature may be embarked upon. The attorney-general also generally has the power to issue certificates legally conclusive of certain facts (e.g., that the revelation of certain matters in court proceedings might constitute a risk to national security); the facts stated in such certificates must be accepted by the courts and cannot legally be disputed by any parties. The attorney-general also has the power to issue a nolle prosequi with respect to a case, which authoritatively determines that the state (in whose name prosecutions are brought) does not wish to prosecute the case, so preventing any person from doing so.
Relationship with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
List of attorneys-general The following individuals have been appointed as attorney-general for Australia:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Prior legal experience Alma mater Term start Term end Term in office 1 Alfred Deakin Protectionist Barton Barrister University of Melbourne 2 Senator James Drake Deakin Barrister King's College School, London days 3 H. B. Higgins Protectionist Watson Barrister University of Melbourne days 4 Senator Sir Josiah Symon, Free Trade Reid Barrister Free Church Training College days 5 Isaac Isaacs Protectionist Deakin Barrister University of Melbourne 6 Littleton Groom Lawyer University of Melbourne 7 Billy Hughes, Labor Fisher Barrister n/a days 8 Paddy Glynn, CommonwealthLiberal Deakin Barrister Trinity College Dublin days n/a Billy Hughes Labor Fisher Barrister n/a 9 William Irvine CommonwealthLiberal Cook Barrister Trinity College, Dublin; University of Melbourne n/a Billy Hughes Labor Fisher Barrister n/a Hughes National Labor Nationalist n/a Sir Littleton Groom, Lawyer University of Melbourne Bruce 10 John Latham Barrister University of Melbourne 11 Frank Brennan Labor Scullin Barrister University of Melbourne n/a Sir John Latham, United Australia Lyons Barrister University of Melbourne 12 Robert Menzies Barrister University of Melbourne n/a Billy Hughes, Barrister n/a Page Menzies Fadden 13 H. V. Evatt Labor Curtin Barrister, Judge University of Sydney Forde Chifley 14 Senator John Spicer Liberal Menzies Barrister University of Melbourne 15 Senator Neil O'Sullivan Solicitor 16 Sir Garfield Barwick Barrister University of Sydney 17 Billy Snedden Barrister University of Western Australia Holt 18 Nigel Bowen Barrister University of Sydney McEwen Gorton 19 Tom Hughes Barrister University of Sydney McMahon n/a Nigel Bowen Barrister University of Sydney days 20 Senator Ivor Greenwood Barrister University of Melbourne 21 Gough Whitlam Labor Whitlam Barrister University of Sydney days 22 Senator Lionel Murphy Barrister University of Sydney 23 Kep Enderby Barrister University of SydneyUniversity of London days n/a Senator Ivor Greenwood Liberal Fraser Barrister University of Melbourne days 24 Bob Ellicott Barrister University of Sydney 25 Senator Peter Durack Barrister University of Western AustraliaLincoln College, Oxford 26 Senator Gareth Evans Labor Hawke Barrister University of MelbourneMagdalen College, Oxford 27 Lionel Bowen Solicitor University of Sydney 28 Michael Duffy, Solicitor University of Melbourne Keating 29 Duncan Kerr Labor Keating Barrister University of Tasmania days 30 Michael Lavarch Solicitor Queensland University of Technology 31 Daryl Williams, Liberal Howard Barrister University of Western AustraliaWadham College, Oxford 32 Philip Ruddock Solicitor University of Sydney 33 Robert McClelland Labor Rudd Solicitor University of New South WalesUniversity of Sydney Gillard 34 Nicola Roxon Solicitor University of Melbourne 35Mark Dreyfus BarristerUniversity of Melbourne days Rudd 36 Senator George Brandis Liberal Abbott Barrister University of Queensland; Magdalen College, Oxford Turnbull 37 Christian Porter Lawyer University of Western Australia, London School of Economics Morrison 38Senator Michaelia CashSolicitorCurtin University; University of London; University of Western Australia n/a Senator Katy Gallagher Labor Albanese n/a Australian National University (35) Mark Dreyfus Barrister University of Melbourne 39 Michelle Rowland Lawyer University of Sydney Incumbent
Notes A member of the Protectionist Party, Higgins served in the Labor ministry of Chris Watson, because Labor had no suitably qualified lawyer in Parliament. Hughes took silk in 1909, and became a King's Counsel. Whitlam served as part of a two-man ministry together with Lance Barnard for fourteen days, until the full ministry was commissioned. Prime Minister Paul Keating's original choice for Attorney-General in 1993 had been Michael Lavarch, but Lavarch's re-election was delayed by the death of an opposing candidate for the seat of Dickson; Duncan Kerr held the portfolio in the interim until Lavarch won the resulting supplementary election. Kerr served as Attorney-General for 26 days. There was no Attorney-General for the eight days between Duffy's commission ending on 24 March 1993 and Kerr's commission commencing on 1 April 1993. Gallagher served as part of an interim five-person ministry for nine days, until the full ministry was commissioned.
Former ministerial titles List of ministers for justice
Parliamentary secretaries While previously there existed informal titles for junior ministers, since 1980 they have been officially designated parliamentary-secretaries. They have also been titled assistant minister and minister assisting. Parliamentary-secretaries to the attorney-general are listed below.
In 2022, Matt Thistlethwaite was titled the Assistant Minister for the Republic and was tasked with promoting the Albanese government's policy of establishing of a republic. However, he was also formally the Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General.
Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in officeNeil BrownLiberalFraserMinister assisting the Attorney-General7 May 198211 March 1983Peter DuncanLaborKeatingParliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General27 December 199111 March 1996Chris EllisonLiberalHowardParliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General13 February 199718 July 1997Minister assisting the Attorney-General18 July 19979 October 1997Shayne NeumannLaborGillardParliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General25 March 201318 September 2013Concetta Fierravanti-WellsLiberalAbbottParliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General28 May 201521 September 2015 Amanda StokerMorrisonAssistant Minister to the Attorney-General22 December 202023 May 2022 Matt Thistlethwaite Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for the Republic Patrick Gorman Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General
Attorneys-general of the states and territories The Australian states each have separate attorneys-general, who are state ministers with similar responsibilities to the federal minister with respect to state law. For attorneys-general of the various states and territories of Australia, see:
Attorney-General of the Australian Capital Territory Attorney-General of New South Wales Attorney-General of the Northern Territory Attorney-General of Queensland Attorney-General of South Australia Attorney-General of Tasmania Attorney-General of Victoria Attorney-General of Western Australia
See also Attorney general Justice ministry
References
External links