why isnt the attorney general called the secretary of justice

Who is the Attorney General of the US?

The attorney general is supported by the Office of the Attorney General, which includes executive staff and several deputies. Merrick Garland has been the United States attorney general since March 11, 2021.

What is the job description of the Attorney General?

In the federal government of the United States, the Attorney General is a member of the Cabinet and, as head of the Department of Justice, is the top law enforcement officer and lawyer for the government.

What does the Attorney General of England and Wales do?

The Attorney General for England and Wales is similarly the chief law officer of the Crown in England and Wales, and advises and represents the Crown and government departments in court.

Who was Acting Attorney General during Mukasey's confirmation?

According to administration officials, Clement became acting attorney general at 12:01 am September 17, 2007, and left office 24 hours later. Keisler served as acting attorney general until the confirmation of Michael Mukasey on November 9, 2007.

Why is the attorney general not called Secretary of Justice?

The attorney general isn't called something like the secretary of justice for two reasons. First, the position was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 — almost a century before the establishment of the Department of Justice in 1870. You can't be the secretary of a department that doesn't exist.

Who is the secretary of justice?

U.S. Department of JusticeDepartment of JusticeSecretary:Merrick GarlandYear created:1789Official website:Justice.gov1 more row

Does the US attorney general represent the president?

The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters.

What was the purpose of the secretary of the attorney general?

Represent the United States in legal matters. Supervise and direct the administration and operation of the offices, boards, divisions, and bureaus that comprise the Department.

Is the FBI under the DOJ?

Within the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI is responsible to the attorney general, and it reports its findings to U.S. Attorneys across the country. The FBI's intelligence activities are overseen by the Director of National Intelligence.

Which department head is not called a secretary?

Each of the department heads has the title Secretary, like Secretary of Defense or Secretary of Education, except for the head of the Justice Department who is called the Attorney General.

Who can remove the attorney general?

the PresidentHe can be removed by the President at any time. He can quit by submitting his resignation only to the President. Since he is appointed by the President on the advice of the Council of Ministers, conventionally he is removed when the council is dissolved or replaced.

What is the difference between Attorney General and Chief Justice?

In layman terms, Chief Justice is a Judge and Attorney General is a Lawyer, both have distinct roles to play. The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country and he/she is the chief legal advisor to the GoI. He is responsible to assist the government in all its legal matters.

Who is the head of the Department of Justice 2020?

Meet the Attorney General As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department's 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.

What power does the US attorney general have?

As the chief officer of the Department of Justice, the attorney general enforces federal laws, provides legal counsel in federal cases, interprets the laws that govern executive departments, heads federal jails and penal institutions, and examines alleged violations of federal laws.

What is the title of the lawyer who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court?

The United States solicitor generalThe United States solicitor general represents the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The solicitor general determines the legal position that the United States will take in the Supreme Court.

How many U.S. attorneys are there?

93 United States AttorneysA U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE: BASIC FACTS There are currently 93 United States Attorneys: one for each of the 94 federal judicial districts, except for Guam and the Northern Marianas, where a single U.S. Attorney serves both districts.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

What is the main legal advisor to the government?

In common law jurisdictions, main legal advisor to the government. In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enforcement, ...

What is the second type of attorney general?

The second type of attorney-general ("procureur-generaal", while their replacements are called "advocaat-generaal") is an independent advisor to the Supreme Court . These people give an opinion on cases (called "conclusies") in any field of law (not just criminal law), supported by a scientific staff.

What is a non common law office?

Non-common law jurisdictions usually have one or more offices which are similar to attorneys-general in common law jurisdictions, some of which use "attorney-general" as the English translation of their titles.

What is the office of the Attorney General of the Philippines?

The Office of the Solicitor General is the law firm of the Republic of the Philippines. It is tasked with representing the Philippines, the Philippine Government, and all its officials in any litigation or matter requiring the services of a lawyer especially before appellate courts. It is an independent and autonomous office attached to the Department of Justice for budgetary purposes.

What is the mission of the Attorney General of Ireland?

The Mission of the Office of the Attorney General is to provide the highest standard of professional legal services to Government, Departments and Offices. The Attorney General of Ireland is the legal adviser to the Government and is therefore the chief law officer of the State.

What is the role of the Attorney General in Fiji?

In Fiji, the role of the Attorney General is defined as "providing essential legal expertise and support to the Government". More specific functions include "legislative drafting", "legal aid", "the prerogative of mercy" (advising the President), "liquor licensing" and "film censorship".

What is an attorney general?

Attorneys-General in common law jurisdictions, and jurisdictions with a legal system which is partially derived from the common law tradition, share a common provenance.

Is Garland the Joe Biden nominee?

Ultimately, Garland is the Joe Biden of nominees, really: bland and competent without being particularly interesting or progressive, all of which is infinitely preferable to Donald Trump and his minions but behind the curve of the Democratic coalition ideologically.

Is Biden making Garland the best idea?

Biden making Merrick Garland attorney general isn't the best idea. It also isn't the worst one. Biden making Merrick Garland attorney general isn't the best idea. It also isn't the worst one. The nominee is much like the president-elect: competent but boring with a few glaring flaws from the perspective of progressives.

Who is the attorney general nominee for 2021?

Merrick Garland delivers remarks after being nominated U.S. attorney general by President-elect Joe Biden in Wilmington, Del., on Jan. 7, 2021. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images.

Who did McConnell fill Scalia's seat with?

That effort to right a previous wrong to Garland is understandable but not necessarily wise: McConnell got to fill Scalia's seat with arch-conservative Neil Gorsuch, then 49, and having Garland serve a couple of years as Biden's attorney general is a revenge with which McConnell can presumably live quite comfortably.

Was Garland influenced by Biden?

It also seems highly likely that Biden was influenced by Garland's Supreme Court nomination: Giving Garland the nod for attorney general is understandable, both as a reward to Garland for enduring public disappointment and humiliation in service to the Obama administration's agenda and as a way to troll McConnell, who has lost his power to stop Garland's confirmation.

Was Garland Biden's first choice?

The clear inference from that timing is that Garland was Biden's first choice but that he wasn't willing to nominate him unless it was clear that a nominee for Garland's seat on the country's second most powerful court could be confirmed.

Is Garland owed a seat on the Supreme Court?

Nobody is owed a seat on the Supreme Court; Garland didn't need to be made whole. He should have been chosen as Biden's attorney general if he was the best choice on the merits, and here there are real concerns. As many liberal skeptics noted when he was a Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Garland is a former prosecutor whose record on civil liberties ...

Overview

Attorneys-general in common law and hybrid jurisdictions

Attorneys-General in common law jurisdictions, and jurisdictions with a legal system which is partially derived from the common law tradition, share a common provenance.
In Australia, the attorney-general is the chief law officer of the Crown and a member of the Cabinet. The Attorney-General is the minister responsible for legal affairs, national and public security, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Michaelia Cash is the current Attorney-General. The Australian states each have separa…

Etymology

Similar offices in non-common law jurisdictions

External links