Australian Government Solicitor
AGS
1984 – 1 July 2015
Previously Commonwealth Crown Solicitor's Office (1903–1984).
The Commonwealth government's in-house legal practice, providing legal advice, litigation and dispute resolution services to Commonwealth departments and agencies. From 1999 it operated as a separate statutory authority competing with private law firms for Commonwealth work.
Names over time
- Commonwealth Crown Solicitor's Office1903–1984
- Australian Government Solicitor1984–2015
How it came into existence
Renamed from the Commonwealth Crown Solicitor's Office in 1984, when the office's prosecution work passed to the new Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It remained part of the Attorney-General's Department until 1999.
- Commonwealth legal practice
- Commonwealth litigation
Legislation: Judiciary Act 1903 (Part VIIIA, from 1999)
Changes during its life
- 1 September 1999Became a separate statutory authority and body corporate under amendments to the Judiciary Act 1903, operating on a commercial basis outside the Attorney-General's Department.
How it ended
Abolished as a separate statutory authority on 1 July 2015 and folded back into the Attorney-General's Department, where AGS continues as a group of the department providing legal services to government.
- Commonwealth legal services
- Commonwealth litigation
Main functions
- Legal advice to Commonwealth departments and agencies
- Conduct of Commonwealth litigation
- Commercial and property legal services
- Constitutional litigation for the Commonwealth
Where it sits
Last in the portfolio of Attorney-General's Department.
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 11 December 2014 to 12 September 2016)
Other sources
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.