Formed 1901 | ||
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Jurisdiction Commonwealth of Australia Employees 1,461 (estimate for 2013–14) Annual budget A$800 million (2011–12) Minister responsible George Brandis QC,Attorney-General of Australia Department executive Chris Moraitis PSM, Secretary (2014–) | ||
The Australian Attorney-General's Department is a department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility to serve the people of Australia by providing essential expert support to the Government in the maintenance and improvement of Australia's system of law and justice. It is also the central policy and co-coordinating element of the department and its associated agencies.
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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 Senator the Hon. George Brandis QC.
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.
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.
Departmental Secretary
On the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General has appointed the following individuals as Secretary of the department:
Mission and outcomes
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 18 September, following the 2013 federal election, details the following responsibilities to the department:
The department does not provide legal advice to members of the public. While legislative drafting is listed in the Administrative Arrangements Order, the function was taken over by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel in July 2012.