Inaugural holder Sir Robert Garran KCMG | Formation 1916 (1916) | |
Appointer Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister | ||
The Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the country's second law officer, after the Attorney-General for Australia. The holders of this office are not members of Parliament.
The Commonwealth Solicitor-General gives the Government legal advice and appears in court to represent the Commonwealth's interest in important legal proceedings, particularly in the High Court.
The office was created in 1916 with the appointment of Sir Robert Garran. Prior to this, from 1903 to 1913 Sir Charles Powers had served as the first Commonwealth Crown Solicitor, which later became the Australian Government Solicitor. Sir Charles Powers was also sometimes referred to as the "Solicitor-General", but the two offices are separate: Powers was succeeded in 1913 as Crown Solicitor by Gordon Castle, whereas the first Solicitor-General, Robert Garran, was not appointed until 1916.
On 14 December 2016, Attorney General George Brandis announced that Dr. Stephen Donaghue QC would be appointed on 16 January 2017.