Attorney-General's Department

Australian Attorney General’s Department is one among seven commonwealth departments which was initiated on 1st January 1901. Also it is being operated with the same name since federation of states just like two other departments that are ‘Defence’ and ‘Treasury’. �

The purpose of Australian Attorney General Department is to serve people with preservation of Australian law and justice. It will contribute to Australian laws, legal infrastructure and also provides marketplace regulations which will be protecting businesses as well as customers.

Australian Attorney General at present is George Brandis QC while head of department will be Attorney General Departments Secretary and at present is Roger Wilkins AO, whose responsibility is to co-ordinate, formulating departmental structure along with policy.

Attorney General department has approximately 1,461 employees working in it. It is divided into three groups to work and give efficient, effective results. Each group is headed by a Deputy Secretary who has to report to Secretary.� Following are the three groups under Attorney General:

• Civil Justice and Legal Services
• National Security and Criminal Justice
• Strategic Policy and Coordination

Operations:

Operations of Attorney General Department in Australia are to serve the following responsibilities:

• Law and Justice
• National Security
• Emergency Management
• Natural Disaster Relief
• Cultural Affairs that includes Cultural Heritage as well as Support for Arts
• Managing Government Records
• Administrative Service for Royal Commissions
• Critical Infrastructure Protection Co-ordination
• Freedom of Information
• Privacy
• Legal Services
• Criminal Law and Enforcement
• Protective Services at Commonwealth

Entities:

Entities in Australian Attorney General Department are as follows:

Ministers

• Attorney-General of Australia
• Minister for Justice

Other portfolio bodies

• Administrative Appeals Tribunal
• Administrative Review Council
• Australian Crime Commission
• Australian Federal Police
• Australian Government Solicitor
• Australian Human Rights Commission
• Australian Institute of Criminology
• Australian Law Reform Commission
• Australian Security Intelligence Organization
• Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
• Border Protection Command (also Defence)
• Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
• Copyright Tribunal
• Criminology Research Council
• CrimTrac
• Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal
• Director of Public Prosecutions
• Family Law Council
• Federal Costs Advisory Committee
• Federal Police Disciplinary Tribunal
• Insolvency and Trustee Service, Australia
• International Legal Services Advisory Council
• Ministerial Council on the Administration of Justice
• National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council
• National Counter Terrorism Committee
• National Native Title Tribunal
• Australian Classification Board
• Office of Parliamentary Counsel
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner
• Standing Committee of Attorneys-General

Formed	1901
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Employees	1,461 (estimate for 2013–14)
Annual budget	A$800 million (2011–12)
Minister responsible	George Brandis QC, Attorney-General of Australia
Department executives	Roger Wilkins AO, Secretary; Tony Sheehan, Deputy Secretary, National Security and Criminal Justice; Elizabeth Kelly, Deputy Secretary, Strategic Policy and Coordination; David Fredericks, Deputy Secretary, Civil Justice and Legal Services
Child agencies	Australian Government Solicitor Australian Federal Police Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Administrative Appeals Tribunal Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity Australian Crime Commission Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Australian Human Rights Commission Australian Institute of Criminology Australian Law Reform Commission Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre Family Court of Australia Federal Court of Australia Federal Magistrates Court of Australia National Native Title Tribunal Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Office of Parliamentary Counsel Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions CrimTrac Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia
Website	www.ag.gov.au