Attorney General for England and Wales
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Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known as the Attorney General, is the chief legal adviser of the Crown in England and Wales. He represents the Queen and the Government in court, and has supervisory powers over prosecutions, which are the responsibility of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Crown Prosecution Service. The Attorney General also represents the Crown in many judicial proceedings relating to the public interest, e.g. the administration of charities and income tax. He is assisted by the Solicitor General: both offices are filled by political appointees who must belong to either house of Parliament. The Attorney General is not usually a member of the Cabinet, but is called to advise it when necessary.
There are separate legal advisors for the other jurisdictions of the United Kingdom: see Law Officers of the Crown.
The Attorney General and the Solicitor General, despite their titles (an attorney in the common law courts was the equivalent of a solicitor in the courts of equity), have historically been barristers and Queen's Counsel. However, Harriet Harman QC MP, who was Solicitor-General until May 2005, is a Solicitor. The Attorney General has precedence over all other barristers in the English Courts, and in the House of Lords has precedence over the Lord Advocate, even in Scottish cases. The Attorney General is addressed in court as "Mr Attorney".
As well as Her Majesty's Attorney General, there is also an Attorney General to the Prince of Wales and an Attorney General to the Duchy of Lancaster. When there is a Queen consort or dowager, she also has an Attorney General, as did the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
The Attorney General currently also holds the office of Attorney General for Northern Ireland.
Attorneys General of England (and Wales), 1277-present
- William de Boneville 1277-1278
- William de Giselham 1278-1279
- Gilbert de Thornton 1279-1280
- Alanus de Walkingham 1280-1281
- John le Fawconer 1281-1284
- William de Selby 1284-1286
- Gilbert de Thornton 1286-1287
- William Inge 1287-1289
- John de Bosco 1289-1290
- Nicholas de Warwick 1290
- John de Haydell 1290-1291
- Richard de Breteville 1291-1292
- Hugh de Louther 1292-1293
- Roger de Hegham 1293-1294
- John de Mutford 1294-1300
- John de Chester 1300-1302
- John de Mutford 1302-1304
- John de Drokenesford 1304-1307
- John de Chester 1307-1309
- Matthew de Scaccario 1309-1312
- John de Norton 1312-1315
- William de Langeley 1315-1318
- Adam de Fyncham 1318-1320
- Geoffrey le Scrope 1320-1322
- Geoffrey de Fyngale 1322-1325
- Adam de Fycnham 1325-1327
- Alexander de Hadenham 1327
- William de Merston 1327-1329
- Richard de Aldeburgh 1329-1334
- Simon de Trewythosa 1334
- William de Hepton 1334-1338
- John de Lincoln 1338
- John de Clone 1338
- William de Merington 1338-1339
- John de Clonse 1339-1342
- William de Thorpe 1342-1343
- John de Lincoln 1343-1349
- Simon de Kegworth 1349-1353
- Henry de Greystok 1353-1356
- John de Gaunt 1356-1360
- Richard de Fryseby 1360-1362
- William de Pleste 1362-1363
- William de Nessefield 1363-1366
- Thomas de Shardelow 1366-1367
- John de Ashwell 1367
- Michael Skilling 1367-1378
- Thomas de Shardelow 1378-1381
- William Ellis 1381
- Laurence Dru 1381-1384
- William de Horneby 1384-1386
- Edmund Brudnell 1386-1398
- Thomas Coveley 1398-1399
- William de Lodington 1399-1401
- Thomas Coveley 1401-1407
- Thomas Dereham 1407
- Roger Hunt 1407-1410
- Thomas Tickhill 1410-1414
- William Babington 1414-1420
- William Babthorpe 1420-1429
- John Vampage 1429-1452
- William de Nottingham 1452-1461
- John Herbert 1461
- Henry Sothill 1461-1471
- William Husee 1471-1481
- William Huddersfield 1481-1483
- Morgan Kydwelly 1483-1485
- William Hody 1485-1486
- Jacob Hubbard 1486-1509
- John Ernley 1509-1518
- John Fitz-James 1518-1522
- John Roper 1522-1524
- Ralph Swillington 1524-1525
- Richard Lyster 1525-1529
- Christopher Hales 1529-1535
- Sir John Baker 1535-1540
- William Whorwode 1540-1545
- Henry Bradshaw 1545-1552
- Edward Griffin 1552-1559
- Sir Gilbert Gerrard 1559-1581
- Sir John Popham 1581-1592
- Sir Thomas Egerton 1592-1594
- Sir Edward Coke 1594-1606
- Sir Henry Hobart 1606-1613
- Sir Francis Bacon 1613-1617
- Sir Henry Yelverton 1617-1621
- Sir Thomas Coventry 1621-1625
- Sir Robert Heath 1625-1631
- William Noy 1631-1634
- Sir John Banks 1634-1641
- Sir Edward Herbert 1641-1645
- Thomas Gardiner (royalist) 1645-1649
- Oliver St John (parliamentary) 1644-1649
- William Steele (commonwealth) 1649
- Edmund Prideaux (commonwealth) 1649-1659
- Robert Reynolds (commonwealth) 1659-1660
- Edward Herbert (in exile) 1649-1653
- Sir Geoffrey Palmer 1660-1670
- Sir Heneage Finch 1670-1673
- Sir Francis North 1673-1675
- Sir William Jones 1675-1679
- Sir Creswell Levinge 1679-1681
- Sir Robert Sawyer)| 1681-1687
- Sir Thomas Powis 1687-1688
- Sir Henry Pollexfen 1689
- Sir George Treby 1689-1692
- Sir John Somers 1692-1693
- Sir Edward Ward 1693-1695
- Sir Thomas Trevor 1695-1701
- Sir Edward Northey 1701-1707
- Sir Simon Harcourt 1707-1708
- Sir James Montague 1708-1710
- Sir Simon Harcourt 1710
- Sir Edward Northey 1710-1718
- Sir Nicholas Lechmere 1718-1720
- Sir Robert Raymond 1720-1724
- Sir Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke 1724-1734
- Sir John Willes 1734-1737
- Sir Dudley Ryder 1737-1754
- William Murray 1754-1756
- Sir Robert Henley 1756-1757
- Sir Charles Pratt 1757-1762
- Charles Yorke 1762-1763
- Sir Fletcher Norton 1763-1765
- Charles Yorke 1765-1766
- William de Grey 1766-1771
- Edward Thurlow 1771-1778
- Alexander Wedderburn 1778-1780
- James Wallace 1780-1782
- Lloyd Kenyon 1782-1783
- James Wallace 1783
- John Lee 1783
- Lloyd Kenyon 1783-1784
- Richard Pepper Arden 1784-1788
- Sir Archibald Macdonald 1788-1793
- Sir John Scott 1793-1799
- Sir John Mitford 1799-1801
- Sir Edward Law 1801-1802
- Spencer Perceval 1802-1806
- Sir Arthur Piggott 1806-1807
- Sir Vicary Gibbs 1807-1812
- Sir Thomas Plumer 1812-1813
- Sir William Garrow 1813-1817
- Sir Samuel Shepherd 1817-1819
- Sir Robert Gifford 1819-1824
- Sir John Singleton Copley 1824-1826
- Sir Charles Wetherell 1826-1827
- Sir James Scarlett 1827-1828
- Sir Charles Wetherell 1828-1829
- Sir James Scarlett 1829-1830
- Sir Thomas Denman 1830-1832
- Sir William Horne 1832-1834
- Sir John Campbell 1834
- Sir Frederick Pollock 1834-1835
- Sir John Campbell 1835-1841
- Sir Thomas Wilde 1841
- Sir Frederick Pollock 1841-1844
- Sir William Webb Follett 1844-1845
- Sir Frederic Thesiger 1845-1846
- Sir Thomas Wilde 1846
- Sir John Jervis 1846-1850
- Sir John Romilly 1850-1851
- Sir Alexander Cockburn 1851-1852
- Sir Frederic Thesiger 1852
- Sir Alexander Cockburn 1852-1856
- Sir Richard Bethell 1856-1858
- Sir Fitzroy Kelly 1858-1859
- Sir Richard Bethell 1859-1861
- Sir William Atherton 1861-1863
- Sir Roundell Palmer 1863-1866
- Sir Hugh McCalmont Cairns 1866
- Sir John Rolt 1866-1867
- Sir John Burgess Karslake 1867-1868
- Sir Robert Porrett Collier 1868-1871
- Sir John Duke Coleridge 1871-1873
- Sir Henry James 1873-1874
- Sir John Burgess Karslake 1874
- Sir Richard Baggallay 1874-1875
- Sir John Holker 1875-1880
- Sir Henry James 1880-1885
- Sir Richard Everard Webster 1885-1886
- Sir Charles Arthur Russell 1886
- Sir Richard Everard Webster 1886-1892
- Sir Charles Arthur Russell 1892-1894
- Sir John Rigby 1894
- Sir Robert Threshie Reid 1894-1895
- Sir Richard Everard Webster 1895-1900
- Sir Robert Bannatyne Finlay 1900-1905
- Sir John Lawson Walton 1905-1908
- Sir William Snowdon Robson 1908-1910
- Sir Rufus Isaacs 1910-1913
- Sir John Allsebrook Simon 1913-1915
- Sir Edward Carson 1915
- Sir Frederick Smith 1915-1919
- Sir Gordon Hewart 1919-1922
- Sir Ernest Pollock 1922
- Sir Douglas Hogg 1922-1924
- Sir Patrick Hastings 1924
- Sir Douglas Hogg 1924-1928
- Sir Thomas Inskip 1928-1929
- Sir William Jowitt 1929-1932
- Sir Thomas Inskip 1932-1936
- Sir Donald Bradley Somervell 1936-1945
- Sir David Maxwell Fyfe 1945
- Sir Hartley Shawcross 1945-1951
- Sir Lionel Heald 1951-1954
- Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller 1954-1962
- Sir John Hobson 1962-1964
- Sir Frederick Elwyn Jones 1964-1970
- Sir Peter Rawlinson 1970-1974
- Samuel Silkin 1974-1979
- Sir Michael Havers 1979-1987
- Sir Patrick Mayhew 1987-1992
- Sir Nicholas Lyell 1992-1997
- Sir John Morris 1997-1999
- Gareth Wyn Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn 1999-2001
- Peter Henry Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith 2001-