Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations

The Attorney-General is the state’s first law officer and a member of Cabinet. The portfolio of the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations comprises the Department of Justice and Attorney-General and several government and statutory bodies and officers with important roles in Queensland’s system of government.

The Attorney-General’s functions and powers are set out in the Attorney-General Act 1999. As the state’s first law officer, the Attorney-General may start and conduct litigation for the state, the Governor, a minister or a person suing or being sued on behalf of the state. The Attorney-General also acts as the guardian of the public interest, balancing conflicting private and collective interests.

The Attorney-General provides legal advice to Cabinet and the Executive Council and advises the Executive Council on judicial appointments. The Attorney-General can also initiate or terminate criminal proceedings, advise on the exercise of the prerogative of mercy, grant immunities from prosecution and appear before a court in appropriate cases.

The role of the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations, like that of other ministers, also involves: 

• being collectively responsible as a member of Cabinet for the policy decisions of the Government
• being individually responsible to parliament for his own actions and that of his department
• being a spokesperson for the Government
• initiating legislation with the assistance of a ministerial policy committee and introducing legislation in parliament
• playing a dominant role in parliamentary debates
• serving on Cabinet committees
• reporting to his parliamentary party
• representing the people of his electorate.

The Attorney-General is responsible for administering 143 Acts of Parliament, including legislation establishing various bodies and statutory officers¹. These bodies and individuals have varying degrees of independence from the minister. However, the minister is ultimately responsible to parliament for the legislation under which each of them is established.

The Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations also administers subordinate legislation that falls within his ministerial responsibilities.

^{1 The portfolio’s statutory bodies and appointments are listed in Appendix 4.  Legislation establishing the portfolio’s statutory bodies and authorities is listed in Appendix 5.}