# Attorney-General of Australia

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 Mark Dreyfus, who was chosen by prime minister Anthony Albanese in June 2022 following the 2022 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

The attorney-general is nearly always 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 and the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity.

### 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

In July 2018, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the creation of the Department of Home Affairs - a new ministry to include the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. This meant the transfer of ASIO away from the Attorney-General's Department, although the Attorney-General would remain responsible for approving ASIO warrants. This move was somewhat criticised, with John Blaxland from the Australian National University warning against tampering with a system that was "arguably the envy of the world", saying "I have yet to see any compelling evidence that what we have is not working, or that there is a compellingly better option out there."

## 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 KC | Protectionist | Barton | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 1 January 1901 (1901-01-01) | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 2 years, 266 days |
| 2 | Senator James Drake | Protectionist | Deakin | Barrister | King's College School, London | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 216 days |
| 3 | H. B. Higgins QC | Protectionist | Watson | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 112 days |
| 4 | Senator Sir Josiah Symon, KCMG, QC | Free Trade | Reid | Barrister | Free Church Training College | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 322 days |
| 5 | Isaac Isaacs QC | Protectionist | Deakin | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 12 October 1906 (1906-10-12) | 1 year, 99 days |
| 6 | Littleton Groom KC | Protectionist | Deakin | Lawyer | University of Melbourne | 12 October 1906 (1906-10-12) | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 2 years, 32 days |
| 7 | Billy Hughes, KC | Labor | Fisher | Barrister | n/a | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 201 days |
| 8 | Paddy Glynn, KCMG, KC | Commonwealth Liberal | Deakin | Barrister | Trinity College Dublin | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 331 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes KC | Labor | Fisher | Barrister | n/a | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 3 years, 56 days |
| 9 | William Irvine KC | Commonwealth Liberal | Cook | Barrister | Trinity College, Dublin; University of Melbourne | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 1 year, 85 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes KC | Labor | Fisher | Barrister | n/a | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 7 years, 95 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes KC | Labor | Hughes | Barrister | n/a | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 7 years, 95 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes KC | National Labor | Hughes | Barrister | n/a | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 13 June 1917 (1917-06-13) | 7 years, 95 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes KC | Nationalist | Hughes | Barrister | n/a | 13 June 1917 (1917-06-13) | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 7 years, 95 days |
| n/a | Sir Littleton Groom, KCMG, KC | Nationalist | Hughes | Lawyer | University of Melbourne | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 9 February 1923 (1923-02-09) | 3 years, 362 days |
| n/a | Sir Littleton Groom, KCMG, KC | Nationalist | Bruce | Lawyer | University of Melbourne | 9 February 1923 (1923-02-09) | 18 December 1925 (1925-12-18) | 3 years, 362 days |
| 10 | John Latham KC | Nationalist | Bruce | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 18 December 1925 (1925-12-18) | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 3 years, 308 days |
| 11 | Frank Brennan | Labor | Scullin | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 2 years, 76 days |
| n/a | Sir John Latham, GCMG, KC | United Australia | Lyons | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) | 2 years, 279 days |
| 12 | Robert Menzies KC | United Australia | Lyons | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) | 20 March 1939 (1939-03-20) | 4 years, 159 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes, CH, KC | United Australia | Lyons | Barrister | n/a | 20 March 1939 (1939-03-20) | 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) | 2 years, 201 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes, CH, KC | United Australia | Page | Barrister | n/a | 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) | 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) | 2 years, 201 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes, CH, KC | United Australia | Menzies | Barrister | n/a | 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 2 years, 201 days |
| n/a | Billy Hughes, CH, KC | United Australia | Fadden | Barrister | n/a | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 2 years, 201 days |
| 13 | H. V. Evatt KC | Labor | Curtin | Barrister, Judge | University of Sydney | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 8 years, 73 days |
| 13 | H. V. Evatt KC | Labor | Forde | Barrister, Judge | University of Sydney | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 8 years, 73 days |
| 13 | H. V. Evatt KC | Labor | Chifley | Barrister, Judge | University of Sydney | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 8 years, 73 days |
| 14 | Senator John Spicer KC | Liberal | Menzies | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 14 August 1956 (1956-08-14) | 6 years, 239 days |
| 15 | Senator Neil O'Sullivan | Liberal | Menzies | Solicitor | | 15 August 1956 (1956-08-15) | 12 October 1958 (1958-10-12) | 2 years, 58 days |
| 16 | Sir Garfield Barwick QC | Liberal | Menzies | Barrister | University of Sydney | 12 October 1958 (1958-10-12) | 4 March 1964 (1964-03-04) | 5 years, 144 days |
| 17 | Billy Snedden QC | Liberal | Menzies | Barrister | University of Western Australia | 4 March 1964 (1964-03-04) | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 2 years, 285 days |
| 17 | Billy Snedden QC | Liberal | Holt | Barrister | University of Western Australia | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 14 December 1966 (1966-12-14) | 2 years, 285 days |
| 18 | Nigel Bowen QC | Liberal | Holt | Barrister | University of Sydney | 14 December 1966 (1966-12-14) | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 2 years, 333 days |
| 18 | Nigel Bowen QC | Liberal | McEwen | Barrister | University of Sydney | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 2 years, 333 days |
| 18 | Nigel Bowen QC | Liberal | Gorton | Barrister | University of Sydney | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 12 November 1969 (1969-11-12) | 2 years, 333 days |
| 19 | Tom Hughes QC | Liberal | Gorton | Barrister | University of Sydney | 12 November 1969 (1969-11-12) | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 1 year, 130 days |
| 19 | Tom Hughes QC | Liberal | McMahon | Barrister | University of Sydney | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 22 March 1971 (1971-03-22) | 1 year, 130 days |
| n/a | Nigel Bowen | Liberal | McMahon | Barrister | University of Sydney | 22 March 1971 (1971-03-22) | 2 August 1971 (1971-08-02) | 133 days |
| 20 | Senator Ivor Greenwood QC | Liberal | McMahon | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 2 August 1971 (1971-08-02) | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 1 year, 125 days |
| 21 | Gough Whitlam QC | Labor | Whitlam | Barrister | University of Sydney | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 14 days |
| 22 | Senator Lionel Murphy QC | Labor | Whitlam | Barrister | University of Sydney | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 10 February 1975 (1975-02-10) | 2 years, 53 days |
| 23 | Kep Enderby QC | Labor | Whitlam | Barrister | University of Sydney University of London | 10 February 1975 (1975-02-10) | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 274 days |
| n/a | Senator Ivor Greenwood QC | Liberal | Fraser | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 41 days |
| 24 | Bob Ellicott QC | Liberal | Fraser | Barrister | University of Sydney | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 6 September 1977 (1977-09-06) | 1 year, 258 days |
| 25 | Senator Peter Durack QC | Liberal | Fraser | Barrister | University of Western Australia Lincoln College, Oxford | 6 September 1977 (1977-09-06) | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 5 years, 186 days |
| 26 | Senator Gareth Evans QC | Labor | Hawke | Barrister | University of Melbourne Magdalen College, Oxford | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 1 year, 277 days |
| 27 | Lionel Bowen | Labor | Hawke | Solicitor | University of Sydney | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 5 years, 112 days |
| 28 | Michael Duffy, ONZ | Labor | Hawke | Solicitor | University of Melbourne | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 28 | Michael Duffy, ONZ | Labor | Keating | Solicitor | University of Melbourne | 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 29 | Duncan Kerr | Labor | Keating | Barrister | University of Tasmania | 1 April 1993 (1993-04-01) | 27 April 1993 (1993-04-27) | 26 days |
| 30 | Michael Lavarch | Labor | Keating | Solicitor | Queensland University of Technology | 27 April 1993 (1993-04-27) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 2 years, 319 days |
| 31 | Daryl Williams, AM, QC | Liberal | Howard | Barrister | University of Western Australia Wadham College, Oxford | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 7 years, 210 days |
| 32 | Philip Ruddock | Liberal | Howard | Solicitor | University of Sydney | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 4 years, 57 days |
| 33 | Robert McClelland | Labor | Rudd | Solicitor | University of New South Wales University of Sydney | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 4 years, 11 days |
| 33 | Robert McClelland | Labor | Gillard | Solicitor | University of New South Wales University of Sydney | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 4 years, 11 days |
| 34 | Nicola Roxon | Labor | Gillard | Solicitor | University of Melbourne | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 2 February 2013 (2013-02-02) | 1 year, 50 days |
| 35 | Mark Dreyfus QC | Labor | Gillard | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 2 February 2013 (2013-02-02) | 26 June 2013 (2013-06-26) | 228 days |
| 35 | Mark Dreyfus QC | Labor | Rudd | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 26 June 2013 (2013-06-26) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 228 days |
| 36 | Senator George Brandis QC | Liberal | Abbott | Barrister | University of Queensland; Magdalen College, Oxford | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 4 years, 93 days |
| 36 | Senator George Brandis QC | Liberal | Turnbull | Barrister | University of Queensland; Magdalen College, Oxford | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 4 years, 93 days |
| 37 | Christian Porter | Liberal | Turnbull | Lawyer | University of Western Australia, London School of Economics | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 3 years, 100 days |
| 37 | Christian Porter | Liberal | Morrison | Lawyer | University of Western Australia, London School of Economics | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 30 March 2021 (2021-03-30) | 3 years, 100 days |
| 38 | Senator Michaelia Cash | Liberal | Morrison | Solicitor | Curtin University; University of London; University of Western Australia | 30 March 2021 (2021-03-30) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 1 year, 54 days |
| n/a | Senator Katy Gallagher | Labor | Albanese | n/a | Australian National University | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | 9 days |
| 39 | Mark Dreyfus KC | Labor | Albanese | Barrister | University of Melbourne | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | Incumbent | 2 years, 158 days |
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

The following individuals were appointed as Minister for Justice, or any of its precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Michael Tate | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Justice | 18 September 1987 (1987-09-18) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 5 years, 187 days |
| 1 | Michael Tate | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 5 years, 187 days |
| 1 | Michael Tate | Labor | Keating | Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 27 May 1992 (1992-05-27) | 5 years, 187 days |
| 1 | Michael Tate | Labor | Keating | Minister for Justice | 27 May 1992 (1992-05-27) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 5 years, 187 days |
| 2 | Duncan Kerr | Labor | Keating | Minister for Justice | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 2 years, 353 days |
| 3 | Daryl Williams | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) | 1 year, 212 days |
| 4 | Amanda Vanstone | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice | 9 October 1997 | 21 October 1998 | 3 years, 113 days |
| 4 | Amanda Vanstone | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice and Customs | 21 October 1998 | 30 January 2001 | 3 years, 113 days |
| 5 | Chris Ellison | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice and Customs | 30 January 2001 | 9 March 2007 | 6 years, 38 days |
| 6 | David Johnston | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice and Customs | 9 March 2007 (2007-03-09) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 269 days |
| 7 | Brendan O'Connor | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Justice | 14 September 2010 | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 1 year, 91 days |
| 8 | Jason Clare | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Justice | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 8 | Jason Clare | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Justice | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 9 | Michael Keenan | Liberal | Abbott | Minister for Justice | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 4 years, 93 days |
| 9 | Michael Keenan | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Justice | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 4 years, 93 days |
| For subsequent appointments, see the Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity |||||||||

## 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 office |
| Neil Brown | Liberal | Fraser | Minister assisting the Attorney-General | 7 May 1982 | 11 March 1983 | |
| Peter Duncan | Labor | Keating | Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General | 27 December 1991 | 11 March 1996 | |
| Chris Ellison | Liberal | Howard | Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General | 13 February 1997 | 18 July 1997 | |
| Chris Ellison | Liberal | Howard | Minister assisting the Attorney-General | 18 July 1997 | 9 October 1997 | |
| Shayne Neumann | Labor | Gillard | Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General | 25 March 2013 | 18 September 2013 | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells | Liberal | Abbott | Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General | 28 May 2015 | 21 September 2015 | 116 days |
| Amanda Stoker | Liberal | Morrison | Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General | 22 December 2020 | 23 May 2022 | 1 year, 152 days |
| Matt Thistlethwaite | Labor | Albanese | Assistant Minister for the Republic | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) | 2 years, 58 days |
| Patrick Gorman | Labor | Albanese | Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General | 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) | incumbent | 100 days |

## 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