# Attorney-General's Department (Australia)

The Attorney-General's Department, also known as the Department of the Attorney-General, is the law enforcement and justice department of the Australian Government. The department is responsible for improving Australia's federal law and justice framework and provides legal services to the Australian Government. The department also oversees various sub-agencies and services including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The head of the department is Attorney-General for Australia, currently Mark Dreyfus, who is assisted by the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, currently Katherine Jones PSM.

## History

The Attorney-General's Department is one of seven original Commonwealth Departments of state, commencing with the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. It is one of only three departments, along with Defence and Treasury, to have operated continuously under their original name and charter since Federation.

## Organisation

The department is organised into five groups, each headed by a Deputy Secretary. These Deputy Secretaries report to the Secretary who co-ordinates and devises departmental structure and policy.
These five groups are:
* Australian Government Solicitor
* Justice and Communities
* National Security and Criminal Justice
* Integrity and International
* Enabling Services.
The Attorney-General's Department is located at the Robert Garran Offices, 3-5 National Circuit, Barton in the Australian Capital Territory.

### Departmental Secretary

The permanent secretary of the Attorney-General's Department is the non-political public service head of the department. This role dates from federation, and the first incumbent, Sir Robert Garran, was the first (and for a time the only) public servant employed by the federal government. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing the first federal election and setting up the rest of the federal bureaucracy by transferring state government functions to the federal government.
From 1916, when the position of Solicitor-General of Australia was created as the second law officer and deputy of the Attorney-General, the permanent secretary served concurrently as Solicitor-General, until the two roles were separated in 1964. Under the Law Officers Act passed that year, the Solicitor-General's role was clarified as statutory counsel deputising for the Attorney-General, separate from the role of the permanent secretary.
On the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General has appointed the following individuals as Secretary of the department:
| Order | Official | Official title | Date appointment commenced | Date appointment ceased | Term in office |
| 1 | Sir Robert Garran | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 1 January 1901 (1901-01-01) | 9 February 1932 (1932-02-09) | 31 years, 39 days |
| 2 | Sir George Knowles | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 10 February 1932 (1932-02-10) | 8 May 1946 (1946-05-08) | 14 years, 87 days |
| 3 | Sir Kenneth Bailey | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 9 May 1946 (1946-05-09) | 2 February 1964 (1964-02-02) | 17 years, 269 days |
| 4 | Ted Hook | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 3 February 1964 (1964-02-03) | 2 February 1970 (1970-02-02) | 5 years, 364 days |
| 5 | Sir Clarrie Harders OBE | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 1970 | July 1979 | 9 years |
| 6 | Alan Neaves | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | July 1979 | March 1983 | 4 years |
| 7 | Pat Brazil AO | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 16 March 1983 (1983-03-16) | 1989 | 6 years |
| 8 | Alan Rose AO | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 1989 | 23 May 1994 (1994-05-23) | 5 years |
| 9 | Stephen Skehill | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 23 May 1994 (1994-05-23) | 1998 | 4 years |
| 10 | Tony Blunn AO | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 1998 | 17 December 1999 (1999-12-17) | 2 years |
| 11 | Robert Cornall AO | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 24 January 2000 (2000-01-24) | 31 August 2008 (2008-08-31) | 8 years, 220 days |
| 12 | Roger Wilkins AO | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 1 September 2008 (2008-09-01) | 31 August 2014 (2014-08-31) | 5 years, 364 days |
| 13 | Chris Moraitis PSM | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 15 September 2014 (2014-09-15) | 15 September 2021 (2021-09-15) | 6 years, 110 days |
| 14 | Katherine Jones PSM | Secretary of the Attorney‑General's Department | 16 August 2021 (2021-08-16) | incumbent | 3 years, 195 days |

## Mission and outcomes

The mission of the department is to "deliver programs and policies to maintain and improve Australia's law and justice framework" and to provide legal services to the Australian Government.

## Operational functions

The Administrative Arrangements Order made on 1 June 2022 details the following responsibilities to the Department:
* Law and justice, including -
** Administrative law
** Alternative dispute resolution
** Bankruptcy
** Constitutional law
** Courts and tribunals
** Human rights
** International law
** Law reform
** Legal assistance
** Legislative drafting
** Marriage and family law
** Personal property securities
* Legal services to the Commonwealth
* Law enforcement policy and operations
* Administration of criminal justice, including –
** Criminal law policy and principles of criminal responsibility
** Matters relating to prosecution
** Sentencing and management of federal offenders
** Internal crime cooperation, including extradition and mutual assistance in criminal matters
* Protective security policy
* Protective services at Commonwealth establishments and diplomatic and consular premises in Australia
* Administrative support for Royal Commissions and certain other inquiries
* Privacy
* Freedom of Information
* Native title
* Fraud and anti-corruption policy
* Whole of government integrity policy and activities
* Copyright
* National child protection policy and strategy