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Advocate General for Northern Ireland

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United Kingdom
Advocate General
for Northern Ireland
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
since 5 July 2024
Attorney General's Office
StyleThe Right Honourable
Reports toThe Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Justice
AppointerThe King
(on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
FormationApril 2010
First holderPatricia Scotland
DeputyAttorney General
Websitewww.gov.uk

The advocate general for Northern Ireland is the chief legal adviser to the Government of the United Kingdom on Northern Ireland law and the post is held by the attorney general for England and Wales by virtue of that office. The advocate general and the solicitor general for England and Wales have, in Northern Ireland, the same rights of audience as members of the Bar of Northern Ireland.[1] They are called to the Northern Ireland Bar in order to fulfill these duties.[2]

The advocate general was created as a separate office by the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002[1] upon the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 12 April 2010.[3]

Unlike the advocate general for Scotland, the position is not supported by a distinct government department. Instead, that support is provided by the civil law and Northern Ireland section within the Attorney General's Office at Westminster.[4][5]

The chief legal adviser to the Northern Ireland Executive is the attorney general for Northern Ireland.[6]

The advocate general retains the power to refer the question of whether a bill passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is within the competence of the Assembly.[7]

List of Advocates General

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Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative   Labour

Advocate General Term of office Political party Prime Minister
Patricia Scotland
Baroness Scotland of Asthal 		12 April 2010 11 May 2010 Labour Brown
Dominic Grieve
MP for Beaconsfield 		12 May 2010 15 July 2014 Conservative Cameron (coalition)
Jeremy Wright
MP for Kenilworth and Southam 		15 July 2014 9 July 2018 Cameron
May
Geoffrey Cox
MP for Torridge and West Devon 		9 July 2018 13 February 2020
Johnson
Suella Braverman
MP for Fareham 		13 February 2020 2 March 2021
Michael Ellis
MP for Northampton North (acting) 		2 March 2021 10 September 2021
Suella Braverman
MP for Fareham 		10 September 2021 6 September 2022
Michael Ellis
MP for Northampton North 		6 September 2022 25 October 2022 Truss
Victoria Prentis
MP for Banbury 		25 October 2022 5 July 2024 Sunak
The Lord Hermer 5 July 2024 Incumbent Labour Starmer

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 2002 c. 26
  2. ^ "Law Officers called to Northern Ireland Bar". Wired Gov. WIRED GOV LTD. 10 September 2024. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  3. ^ Attorney General's Office: Statement on Northern Ireland devolution, 12 April 2010 Archived July 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "2020-08-12T10-32-10Z-2020-03-31-organogram-senior.csv". data.gov.uk. 31 March 2020. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  5. ^ "2020-08-12T10-32-10Z-2020-03-31-organogram-junior.csv". data.gov.uk. 31 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  6. ^ "First Minister Peter Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP, MLA have announced the appointment of Mr John F Larkin QC as Attorney General for Northern Ireland". Northern Ireland Executive Office. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 April 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Northern Ireland Act 1998", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 19 November 1998, 1998 c. 47, retrieved 20 September 2024
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(incorporating Advocate General for Northern Ireland)

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