Solicitor-General of Australia

Solicitor-General of Australia
since 16 January 2017
Attorney-General's Department
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
Inaugural holderSir Robert Garran
Formation1916 (1916)

The solicitor-general of Australia (officially the solicitor-general of the Commonwealth[1]) is the country's second highest-ranking law officer, after the Attorney-General for Australia. The current officeholder is Stephen Donaghue, who took office on 16 January 2017 following the resignation of Justin Gleeson.

The Commonwealth Solicitor-General gives the Australian federal government legal advice and appears in court to represent the Commonwealth's interest in important legal proceedings, particularly in the High Court.[2] The Solicitor-General notably offered advice to the government and defended members of parliament in court during the Australian Parliamentary eligibility crisis.[3][4] Unlike the Australian attorney-general or the same position in England and Wales, the solicitor-general is not a member of parliament.

  1. ^ Law Officers Act 1964 (Cth) s 5.
  2. ^ "Solicitor-General". Australian Government Directory. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  3. ^ Pelly, Malcolm (2021). "Five more years for Solicitor-General". Financial Review.
  4. ^ "High Court starts hearings on dual citizenship MPs". Australian Financial Review. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2021.