Solicitor General

A Solicitor General or Solicitor-General, in common law countries, is usually a legal officer who is the chief representative of a regional or national government in courtroom proceedings. In systems that have an Attorney General (or equivalent position), the Solicitor General is often the second-ranked law officer of the state and a deputy of the Attorney General. The extent to which a Solicitor General actually provides legal advice to or represents the government in court varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and sometimes between individual office holders in the same jurisdiction.

Solicitors General include the following:

• United States Solicitor General, the federal government's primary advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court
• In states in the United States, a Solicitor General is usually the top appellate advocate on behalf of the State, its executives and officials, and its legislature (sometimes referred to as State Solicitor, or Appellate Chief, depending upon the particular state). In many states, the Solicitor General also formulates a state's legal position in significant out-of-state cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. State Solicitors General include:
  • Michigan Solicitor General, the top appellate advocate for the State of Michigan
  • Solicitor General of Ohio, the top appellate advocate in the state of Ohio
• Solicitor-General of Australia, the second law officer of state and public servant representing the Attorney-General in court proceedings
  • Solicitor General for New South Wales
  • Solicitor-General of Victoria (Australia), Second Law Officer of Victoria, Australia, behind the Attorney-General
  • Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory
  • Solicitor-General of South Australia
• Solicitor-General of Belize, a law officer of the government of Belize, subordinate to the Attorney-General of Belize
• Solicitor General of Canada, a role now performed by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
  • Solicitor General of Ontario, responsible for police and other law enforcement agencies in Ontario province
• In the United Kingdom:
  • Solicitor General for England and Wales, the deputy for the Attorney General for England and Wales
  • Solicitor General for Scotland, the deputy of the Lord Advocate of Scotland
  • Solicitor General to the Duchy of Cornwall, one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster
• Solicitor-General (Fiji), the Chief Executive Officer of the Attorney-General's Chambers, and as such assists the Attorney-General in advising the government on legal matters, and in performing legal work for the government
• Solicitor General of Hong Kong, until 1979, deputy to the Attorney-General; since 1981, head of the Legal Policy Division of the Department of Justice (Chinese: 律政司) in Hong Kong
• Solicitor General of India, Attorney General of India
• Solicitor-General for Ireland, deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, until 1922
• Solicitor-General of New Zealand, the second law officer of state and public servant representing the Attorney-General in court proceedings
• Solicitor-General of the Philippines
• Solicitor General of Sri Lanka, the deputy for the Attorney General for Sri Lanka
• Solicitor-General of Singapore, formerly the deputy of the Attorney-General of Singapore, now subordinate to the Deputy Attorney-General of Singapore.

See also

• Attorney general, the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions
• Justice of the Peace, sometimes used with the same meaning
• Law Officers of the Crown, the chief legal advisers to the Crown, and advise and represent the various governments in the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms
• Solicitor, a lawyer who traditionally deals with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in court