Attorney-General's Department (Australia)

Attorney-General's Department

Robert Garran Offices, head office of the Attorney-General's Department, located in Barton, Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Department overview
Formed 1 January 1901[1]
Jurisdiction Commonwealth of Australia
Employees 1,461 (estimate for 2013–14)[2]
Annual budget A$800 million (2011–12)
Minister responsible
Department executive
Child Department
Website www.ag.gov.au

The Attorney-General's Department is a department of the federal government of Australia responsible for law and justice.

The head of the department is the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, currently Chris Moraitis PSM, who reports to the Attorney-General of Australia, currently The Hon. Christian Porter MP.

History

The Attorney-General's Department is one of seven original Commonwealth Departments of state, commencing with the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. It is one of only three departments, along with Defence and Treasury, to have operated continuously under their original name and charter since Federation.[3]

Organisation

The department is organised into four groups, each headed by a Deputy Secretary. These Deputy Secretaries report to the Secretary who co-ordinates and devises departmental structure and policy.

These four groups are:

The Attorney-General's Department is located at the Robert Garran Offices, 3-5 National Circuit, Barton in the Australian Capital Territory.[4]

Departmental Secretary

On the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General has appointed the following individuals as Secretary of the department:

Order Official Official title Date appointment
commenced		 Date appointment
ceased		 Term in office Ref(s)
1Sir Robert GarranSecretary of the
Attorney‑General's Department		1 January 19019 February 193231 years, 39 days[5]
2Sir George Knowles10 February 19328 May 194614 years, 87 days[6]
3Sir Kenneth Bailey9 May 19462 February 196417 years, 269 days[7]
4Ted Hook3 February 19642 February 19705 years, 364 days[7][8]
5Sir Clarrie Harders OBE1970July 19799 years[9][10]
6Alan NeavesJuly 1979March 19834 years[11]
7Pat Brazil AO16 March 198319896 years[12]
8Alan Rose AO198923 May 19945 years[13]
9Stephen Skehill23 May 199419984 years[14]
10Tony Blunn AO199817 December 19992 years[15]
11Robert Cornall AO24 January 200031 August 20088 years, 220 days[15][16]
12Roger Wilkins AO1 September 200831 August 20145 years, 364 days[16][17][18]
13Chris Moraitis PSM15 September 2014incumbent4 years, 31 days[19][20]

Mission and outcomes

The Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing in Deakin, ACT. The Office is a division of the Attorney-General's Department.

The mission of the department is "achieving a just and secure society". In pursuing this mission, the department works towards achieving *A just and secure society through the maintenance and improvement of Australia’s law and justice framework and its national security and emergency management system".

Operational functions

The Administrative Arrangements Order made on 19 April 2018 details the following responsibilities to the Department:[21]

  • Law and justice, including -
  • Legal services to the Commonwealth
  • Administration of criminal justice, including -
    • Criminal law policy and principles of criminal responsibility
    • Matters relating to prosecution
    • Sentencing and management of federal offenders
    • Internal crime cooperation, including extradition and mutual assistance in criminal matters
  • Protective security policy
  • Administrative support for Royal Commissions and certain other inquiries
  • Privacy
  • Freedom of Information
  • Management of government records
  • Native title
  • Fraud and anti-corruption policy
  • Whole of government integrity policy and activities

See also

References

  1. ↑ CA 5: Attorney-General's Department, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 25 October 2013
  2. ↑ Australian Government. "Budget Paper No. 1". 2013-14 Commonwealth Budget. Statement 6: Expenses and Net Capital Investment: Australian Government. Archived from the original on 24 September 2013.
  3. ↑ Cornall, Robert (2 November 2007). "Redefining the role of Government lawyers in today's Public Service – ACLA National Conference 2007". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. The Attorney-General’s Department was one of the seven original Commonwealth departments of State. It is one of only three departments, along with Defence and The Treasury, which have operated for over one hundred years under their original name and broad charter.
  4. ↑ "Contact us". Attorney-General's Department. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Key People, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 11 February 2014
  6. ↑ Whitlam, E.G. (1983), Knowles, Sir George Shaw (1882–1947), archived from the original on 28 February 2014
  7. 1 2 Jennings, Rosemary (2007), Hook, Edwin John (Ted) (1910–1990), archived from the original on 28 February 2014
  8. ↑ "Obituary: Edwin Hook: Sound lawyer, good officer, reliable friend". The Canberra Times. 5 April 1990. p. 7. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Whitlam, Edward Gough; Hughes, Tom (10 March 1997). "An Adviser Who Gave His All". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Fraser, Malcolm (3 July 1979). "Retirement of Sir Clarrie Harders" (Press release). Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.
  11. ↑ Title: Senator the Honourable Gareth Evans, Attorney General with Alan Neaves, Secretary of the Attorney General's Department and another, National Archives of Australia
  12. ↑ Hawke, Robert (16 March 1983). "Appointment of permanent heads" (Press release). Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.
  13. ↑ Mr Alan Rose AO, Australian Government Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal, archived from the original on 4 February 2014
  14. ↑ Keating, Paul (11 May 1994). "Statement by the Prime Minister" (Press release). Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.
  15. 1 2 New Secretary Appointed To Attorney-General’s Department, Australian Politics, 8 December 1999, archived from the original on 30 April 2013
  16. 1 2 "Management and Accountability", Annual Report 2008–09, Attorney-General's Department, archived from the original on 12 February 2014
  17. ↑ "New Secretary for Attorney-General's Department" (PDF), The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 24 (1), February 2009, archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2014
  18. ↑ Thomson, Phillip (1 September 2014). "Retired public servant Roger Wilkins urges colleagues to loosen up". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  19. ↑ Abbott, Tony (3 September 2014). "Appointment of Departmental Secretaries" (Press release). Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  20. ↑ Mannheim, Markus (3 September 2014). "Chris Moraitis joins the top table in Abbott's latest reshuffle of department heads". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  21. ↑ "Administrative Arrangements Order" (html). Federal Register of Registration. Commonwealth of Australia. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
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