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Attorney General meaning

What does Attorney General mean?
In legal practice, the Attorney General is the government’s chief legal adviser and, in the UK, a Law officer of the Crown who represents the public interest in litigation and exercises supervisory and consent functions in criminal justice. The office is constitutional, with functions set across statute and case law rather than a single Act. In England and Wales, the Attorney General advises the Crown and UK Government, superintends the Crown Prosecution Service and Serious Fraud Office, gives consent for specified prosecutions, intervenes in contempt, charity and relator matters, and may refer unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal. In Scotland, the equivalent is the Lord Advocate, chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and head of public prosecutions; the UK Government’s Scots law adviser is the Advocate General for Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland advises the Executive, has specified consent and reference powers (including sentence references), and acts to protect the public interest; prosecutions are by the independent Public Prosecution Service. In Ireland, the Attorney General (Constitution, Art 30) advises the Government, represents the State and advises on legislation; prosecutions are conducted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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CHECKLISTS
Trust litigation and administration—multi-jurisdictional case digest covering validity, constructive trusts, breach, defences, appointments, disclosure, construction/rectification, mistake, powers, indemnity and costs, insolvency, enforcement and ADR

Existence and validity of trusts Provincial Equity Finance Ltd v Dines (née Breda) [2023] EWHC 103 (Ch) News Analysis: A literary epigraph—‘By prosperous voyages I often made… and the great care of goods at random left’—introduces a consideration of resulting trusts and the scope of express trusts. The decision underscores the practical obstacles in proving a resulting trust where a disorganised deceased ran bank accounts for mixed ends, and confirms that an express trust can override the presumption of a resulting trust even if the contributor of funds is not a party to the express trust. Author: Nicholas Holland, McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP Jurisdiction: England & Wales Attorney General v Zedra Fiduciary Services (UK) Ltd and others [2022] EWHC 102 (Ch) News Analysis: The court sanctioned a cy près scheme for a £600m charitable trust to be used towards reducing the National Debt, addressing the suitable application of the National Fund. The judgment considers...

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NEWS
UK corporate crime weekly: LIBOR convictions quashed, OFSI enforcement reforms, crypto action, Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, ransomware proposals, water sector overhaul, NCA priorities, Companies House removals, 24 July 2025

In this issue: Investigating criminal conduct Criminal procedure and evidence Proceeds of crime Sentencing Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Consumer protection and cartels Cybercrime and data protection offences Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Insolvency offences and Companies Act offences Money laundering International Other corporate crime news Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Investigating criminal conduct Standards of candour in closed hearings, and corporate witness statements (Attorney General v BBC; R (‘Beth’) v IPT) When scrutinising MI5’s actions across two High Court cases, the court addressed the grave consequences of presenting inaccurate material within closed hearings. It outlined the tightly confined situations that can justify a departure from open justice under section 6 of the Justice and Security Act 2013 (JSA 2013). The court further...

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NEWS
US FEPA: demand-side bribery offences, FCPA interplay, enforcement and extradition risks, and compliance expectations for UK lawyers and clients

What is the US Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (or FEPA) and when did it come into force? On 22 December 2023, President Biden enacted the FEPA, after its approval by the US Congress as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 national defence authorisation legislation. The law reflects the President’s sustained commitment to confronting global corruption as a national security priority. It requires the US Attorney General to deliver an annual, publicly accessible report to Congress summarising major Department of Justice (DOJ) actions under FEPA, enabling Congress (and the public) to assess the effectiveness of the DOJ’s enforcement efforts year on year. That disclosure duty is expected to heighten pressure on the DOJ to bring cases in practice. FEPA widens the scope and reach of US anti‑bribery and corruption laws by expanding bribery offences to capture the ‘demand side’—including requests or solicitations—and by covering individuals acting in an unofficial capacity for relevant agencies and entities. It offers another tool for US regulators to initiate enforcement proceedings involving US interests and...

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NEWS
UK public law weekly: Procurement Act 2023 rollout, judicial review guide and key rulings, Brexit SIs, treaty and SI scrutiny, ECHR position, Public Office (Accountability) Bill, FOI/RPSI/IPT decisions

In this issue: Public procurement Judicial review Brexit highlights Brexit SIs Post-Brexit transition guidance Constitutional and administrative law Equality and human rights State accountability and liability Information law Other public law news New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Public procurement Procurement Act 2023—key developments since the ‘go live’ From 24 February 2025, the principal provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) took effect. Procurements started on or after that date are subject to PA 2023. Procurements initiated beforehand remain under the prior regime, namely the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/102), the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/274), the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/273), and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/1848). Our analysis sets out key points and developments a little over six months after the PA 2023 ‘go‑live’, together with market insight and reflections from several of...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Appeals and references to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), England and Wales: grounds (including guilty pleas), time limits, procedure, forms, CCRC and Attorney General unduly lenient sentencing

This Practice Note centres on appeals against conviction, sentence, and related orders pursued in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division (CACD) under the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 (CAA 1968), and in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 (CrimPR 2025), SI 2025/909, Parts 36 and 39. It also considers applications advanced by the Attorney General under section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 (CJA 1972) or section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (CJA 1988). It outlines how an appeal is commenced, namely by lodging an application for leave to appeal directly with the Court of Appeal. For further information on obtaining certificates declaring a case fit for appeal from the Crown Court, see Practice Note: Criminal appeals—certificates of fitness to appeal from the Crown Court. For detailed guidance on progressing an appeal in the CACD, see Practice Note: Conducting an appeal in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division (CACD). When can an appeal be made to the Court of Appeal? An appeal to the CACD...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Türkiye private client guide 2025: taxation (income, gains, inheritance), succession and forced heirship, non-recognition of trusts, property, capacity and immigration

Taxation regime What factors determine tax liability in your jurisdiction (eg domicile, residence or citizenship)? Türkiye’s tax landscape is intricate, operating through numerous laws, regulations, communiqués and subsequent amendments. The key legislative instruments include: Tax Procedure Law No. 213 (10 January 1961) Corporate Tax Law No. 5520 (21 June 2006) Value Added Tax Law No. 3065 (2 November 1984) Stamp Tax Law No. 488 (11 July 1964) Income Tax Law No. 193 (6 January 1961) Broadly, the Turkish Tax System is considered under three headings: (i) income taxes, such as individual income tax and corporate income tax; (ii) taxes on expenditure, including Value Added Tax (VAT), the Banking and Insurance Transactions Tax and Stamp Tax; and (iii) taxes on wealth, for example Property Tax and Inheritance and Gift Tax. For natural persons, residency, ownership of property and citizenship are key in determining which taxes apply in Türkiye. An individual’s tax burden is mainly linked to their earnings,...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Privilege in intellectual property: legal advice, litigation, disclosure and without prejudice; protections for patent and trade mark attorneys—guidance for England and Wales

Privilege—the basic principles This Practice Note sets out several of the issues that general privilege principles create for IP practitioners, together with specific statutory IP privilege provisions to keep in view. For broader guidance on privilege as a whole, see: Privilege and without prejudice communications—overview. Privilege exists because a client and a lawyer need to communicate frankly about protecting the client’s interests, without those conversations being disclosable to an opposing party or to the court. Although the following are not the only species of privilege, the two principal forms to focus on in the IP sphere are ‘legal advice privilege’ and ‘litigation privilege’. The rules governing each, as developed through case law, can operate with very different practical effects, and their consequences may diverge considerably. These two forms are sometimes grouped together as ‘legal professional privilege’, yet that phrasing is confusingly close to ‘legal advice privilege’ and will therefore not be used again in this note. Appreciating the differences between legal advice privilege and litigation privilege is of...

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PRECEDENTS
Letter to GP requesting MCA 2005 capacity assessment to execute a Health and Welfare LPA (England and Wales)

[ GP OR Doctor ] Dear Dr [ insert name ] Client nameClient addressClient date of birth I represent [ insert client’s name ] in connection with a lasting power of attorney (LPA) for their health and care. I seek to determine whether they possess the necessary mental capacity to sign and execute the document, and I understand that you are their general practitioner (GP)/medical practitioner. For this assessment, the person should be able to clearly show they can comprehend the information relevant to reaching the decision at hand, fully. In this context, that covers: what a lasting power of attorney is their reasons for creating a lasting power of attorney whom they are appointing and the reasons for that appointment, and which powers they are granting to their attorney They must also appreciate that the document requires proper registration before it can be used, and that their attorney will only be authorised to make health and...

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PRECEDENTS
Intellectual property assignment deed (pro-assignee): full title guarantee, moral rights waivers, warranties and power of attorney – England and Wales

This DEED is executed on [ insert date ] Parties [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with registered number [ insert registered number ], and with its registered office at ] [ insert address ] ( Assignor ); and [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with registered number [ insert registered number ], and with its registered office at ] [ insert address ] ( Assignee ) (each of the Assignor and the Assignee is a party, and together the Assignor and the Assignee constitute the parties). BACKGROUND (A) The Assignor is the proprietor of particular intellectual property rights. (B) The Assignor has agreed to transfer those intellectual property rights to the Assignee, and the Assignee has agreed to receive that transfer in line with the terms of this Deed...

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PRECEDENTS
UK plc rights issue board minutes (pre-announcement): approvals for prospectus (FSMA 2000), underwriting, LSE/AIM admission, general meeting, directors’ responsibilities (CA 2006) and related authorisations

Company number: [ insert number ] [ insert company name ] PLC Minutes of a meeting of the [ committee of the ] board of directors (the Meeting) of [ insert company name ] plc (the Company) Venue: [ insert place of meeting ] Date: [ insert day, month and year of meeting ] at [ insert time of meeting ] [ am OR pm ] Present [ Insert names of the director(s) physically present ] [ [ Insert names of any directors present by telephone as permitted by the Company’s articles of association ] (by telephone) ] [ [ Insert names of any directors present by other means permitted by the Company’s articles of association ] (by [ insert other means ]) ] In attendance [ [ Insert name of anyone in attendance, who does not count towards the quorum for the Meeting (eg the company secretary, any legal advisers) ] ] ...

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