What is the UK equivalent of the US Attorney General?
Asked by: Ali Turner | Last update: July 7, 2025Score: 5/5 (67 votes)
Attorney General for England and Wales. His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is the chief legal adviser to the sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales as well as the highest ranking amongst the law officers of the Crown.
What is an Attorney General in the UK?
The Attorney General is: • the chief legal adviser to the Crown (the. state); • a Minister of the Crown with a legal duty. to superintend the Director of Public.
What is the attorney general's reference in the UK?
Where offenders have been sentenced for certain offences in the Crown Court and the Attorney General considers that the sentence imposed was too low, the Attorney General can refer the offender's case to the Court of Appeal for the sentence to be reviewed.
What is the difference between the US Attorney Attorney General and the Solicitor General?
Lesson Summary. The U.S. Solicitor General works for the Attorney General, who is in charge of legal representation for the United States' executive branch. The Solicitor General represents the United States in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, unless the Attorney General wants to.
What is the ministry of the Attorney General in the UK?
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It supports the Attorney General and their deputy, the Solicitor General (together, the Law officers of the Crown in England and Wales). It is sometimes referred to as the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers.
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Who is the equivalent of the US attorney general in the UK?
There are three UK government law officers: the attorney general, the solicitor general and the advocate general. Lord Hermer KC is the attorney general, Lucy Rigby MP is the solicitor general and Baroness Smith KC is the advocate general for Scotland.
What does attorney general mean in British?
/əˌtɜːni ˈdʒenrəl/ /əˌtɜːrni ˈdʒenrəl/ (plural attorneys general, attorney generals) Attorney General. the most senior legal officer in some countries or states, for example the UK or Canada, who advises the government or head of state on legal matters.
Who is more powerful US attorney or attorney general?
United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States of America.
What is a solicitor in England?
In the UK, the role of a solicitor is to take instructions from clients, including individuals, groups, public sector organisations or private companies, and advise them on necessary courses of legal action. As a solicitor, you would work closely with clients and are likely to be their first point of contact.
Who is above the U.S. Attorney General?
The department is headed by the U.S. attorney general, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet.
What is the UK equivalent of an attorney?
The term lawyer is a generic term used to describe anyone who is a Licensed Legal Practitioner qualified to give legal advice in one or more areas of law. A solicitor and a barrister could both be considered a 'lawyer' in the UK.
Do you need a law degree to be attorney general?
By tradition, persons appointed to the position of Attorney-General have been lawyers. Only two former attorneys-general have not been lawyers, most recently Dr Michael Cullen who held the post in 2005, and again from 2006.
What is the title of a lawyer in the UK?
Lawyer is a general term used to describe people who provide legal services. Unlike terms such as solicitor or barrister, lawyer has no defined meaning in UK law. Anyone can call themselves a lawyer, regardless of whether they have any professional legal qualifications or not.
What do British people call attorneys?
Barristers and solicitors
Solicitors provide legal services and legal advice, and operate across a range of practice areas.
What is a solicitor general in the UK?
Solicitor General in British English
1. (in Britain) the law officer of the Crown ranking next to the Attorney General (in Scotland to the Lord Advocate) and acting as his or her assistant. 2. (in the US) the attorney appointed to represent the federal government before the Supreme Court.
How many attorney generals are there in the USA?
All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have an attorney general who serves as the chief legal officer in their jurisdiction, counsels its government agencies and legislatures, and is a representative of the public ...
What is the American equivalent of a British solicitor?
For example, in the United States, attorneys are generally considered to encompass both those who engage in courtroom advocacy (similar to barristers) and those who handle legal matters outside of court (similar to solicitors).
Why do the British call lawyers solicitors?
In Britain, solicitors (first used in the 16th century) originally worked only in a particular branch of the legal system, the courts of equity; today they are lawyers who advise clients and arrange settlements “behind the scenes” but don't argue cases in court.
How long is a law degree in the UK?
If you complete an “ordinary” LLB, this takes 3 years. Most students undertake an LLB with Honours, and this takes 4 years. If you study part-time the LLB usually takes 5 years to complete.
What is the difference between U.S. Attorney General and U.S. solicitor general?
The Attorney General represents the U.S.A. in prosecutions of federal offenses, and offers advice to federal officials where the federal government is a party. The Solicitor General represents the U.S. Government ONLY at the Supreme Court, where the federal government is a party.
Is the Attorney General above the FBI?
Within the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI is responsible to the attorney general, and it reports its findings to U.S. Attorneys across the country. The FBI's intelligence activities are overseen by the Director of National Intelligence.
What is the UK equivalent of attorney general?
Inquiry. The Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers (the Attorney General, Solicitor General and Advocate General for Scotland) are Government ministers with particular constitutional and legal responsibilities (notably, in upholding the rule of law).
What is British slang for attorney?
BARRISTER - 33 Synonyms and Antonyms - Cambridge English.
How much does the US Attorney General make a year?
As of Jan 21, 2025, the average annual pay for an Attorney General in the United States is $103,584 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $49.80 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,992/week or $8,632/month.