Attorney General

Attorney General (pronunciation: /əˈtɜːrniː ˈdʒɛnərəl/) is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions, they may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement, prosecutions or even responsibility for legal affairs generally.

Etymology

The term "Attorney General" is derived from the Latin word "attornatus", meaning appointed or deputed, and the English word "general", meaning overall or comprehensive. Thus, the term refers to the person appointed to represent the government in all legal matters.

Related Terms

Solicitor General: A Solicitor General or Solicitor-General, in common law countries, is usually a legal officer who is the second law officer of the state, below the Attorney General.

Prosecutor: A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system.

Public Prosecutor: A public prosecutor is a lawyer representing a government in a criminal trial.

District Attorney: In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney (DA) is the chief prosecutor for a local government area, typically a county.

Legal Affairs: Legal affairs refer to matters that involve the law, lawyers, legal rights, or legal obligations.

Law Enforcement: Law enforcement is any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society.