Attorney General for Northern Ireland
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History
The original post was formed in 1921 with the establishment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and was always held by an Ulster Unionist Party MP.[2] A Deputy Attorney General briefly held office in 1946, when the post was held by Edmond Warnock MP (21 June – 11 September).[3]
The Attorney General for England and Wales performed the role of Attorney General for Northern Ireland after the prorogation of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in 1972.[4] These office-holders were always United Kingdom Government Ministers.
Justice powers were again devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 12 April 2010, at which point the Attorney General for England and Wales ceased to hold office as Attorney General of Northern Ireland. She instead became Advocate General for Northern Ireland[5] and a vacancy occurred. John Larkin QC became the first politically independent office-holder, taking office on 24 May 2010,[6] when he was appointed by First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
The role and powers of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland are provided in the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002. The Attorney General is appointed for a term of not more than five years jointly by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. The Attorney General is permitted to participate in the proceedings of the Assembly, but not to vote.
Office-holders
Devolved government 1921–1972
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| Name | Portrait | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister (NI) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Richard Best MP | 7 June 1921 | 5 November 1925 | Ulster Unionist | rowspan="4" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Sir James Craig | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Anthony Babington MP | 5 November 1925 | 3 December 1937 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Edward Sullivan Murphy MP | 3 December 1937 | 14 April 1939 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Arthur Black MP | 14 April 1939 | 10 November 1941 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | J. M. Andrews | ||||||
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | John MacDermott MP | 10 November 1941 | 3 November 1944 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| rowspan="5" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Sir Basil Brooke | ||||||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | William Lowry MP | 3 November 1944 | 6 June 1947 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Lancelot Curran MP | 6 June 1947 | 4 November 1949 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Edmond Warnock MP | 4 November 1949 | 14 April 1956 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Brian Maginess MP | 14 April 1956 | 20 March 1964 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Terence O'Neill | ||||||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Edward Warburton Jones MP | 20 March 1964 | 1 March 1968 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Basil Kelly MP | 11 March 1968 | 30 March 1972 | Ulster Unionist | |||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | James Chichester-Clark | ||||||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Brian Faulkner | ||||||
Direct rule 1972–2010
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| Name | Portrait | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister (UK) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Sir Peter Rawlinson MP | 30 March 1972 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Edward Heath | |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Samuel Silkin MP | 7 March 1974 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Harold Wilson | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | James Callaghan | ||||||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Sir Michael Havers MP | 6 May 1979 | 13 June 1987 | Conservative | rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Margaret Thatcher | |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Sir Patrick Mayhew MP | 13 June 1987 | 10 April 1992 | Conservative | |||
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | John Major | ||||||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Sir Nicholas Lyell MP | 10 April 1992 | 2 May 1997 | Conservative | |||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Sir John Morris MP | File:Lord Morris.jpg | 6 May 1997 | 29 July 1999 | Labour | rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Tony Blair |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Lord Williams of Mostyn | 29 July 1999 | 11 June 2001 | Labour | |||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Lord Goldsmith | File:Peter Goldsmith Crop.jpg | 11 June 2001 | 27 June 2007 | Labour | ||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Baroness Scotland of Asthal | File:PatriciaScotland2a.jpg | 27 June 2007 | 12 April 2010 | Labour | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Gordon Brown |
Devolved government 2010–present
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| Name | Portrait | Term of office | Political party | First Minister and deputy First Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Larkin QC | File:John F Larkin.jpg | 24 May 2010 | 30 Jun 2020 | None | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Peter Robinson | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Martin McGuinness |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Arlene Foster | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Martin McGuinness | |||||
| Brenda King | File:Brenda King 2020.jpg | 30 Jun 2020 | Incumbent | None | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Arlene Foster | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Michelle O'Neill |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Paul Givan | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Michelle O'Neill | |||||
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Michelle O'Neill | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Emma Little-Pengelly | |||||
See also
- Law Officers of the Crown
- Advocate General for Northern Ireland
- Attorney General for England and Wales
- Department of Justice (Northern Ireland)
- Executive Office (Northern Ireland)
References
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- ↑ Section 1(2) of the Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 and section 10 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973
- ↑ Attorney General's Office: Statement on Northern Ireland devolution, 12 April 2010 Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- ↑ OFMDFM: Appointment of Attorney General announced, 24 May 2010 Script error: No such module "webarchive".
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