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The Attorney General (Irish: An Ard-Aighne) is the official adviser to the Irish Government in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in the Republic of Ireland. The Attorney-General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings.
As the Attorney General advises the Government on the constitutionality of bills and treaties, he also presents the Government's case if the President refers any bill to the Supreme Court under Article 26 of the Constitution, before signing it.
The Attorney General has few prosecution duties; these are limited to functions under the various Fisheries Acts and Extradition Acts.
The Office of the Attorney-General consists of a number of different offices:
- - The Advisory Counsel to the Attorney-General (providing legal advice);
- - The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (drafting legislation);
- - The Chief State Solicitor's Office (providing litigation, conveyancing and other transactional services);
- - The Statute Law Revision Unit (simplifying and improving the body of statute law).
Part of the Attorney General's function has been to identify and prepare the repeal of all legislation passed before independence. This includes laws of the United Kingdom, the Great Britain, of England and of the Irish Parliament. For example the killing of cattle in Dublin is still regulated, in part by an Irish act of 1743, whilst the "Treatment of Foreign Merchants" is governed by 25 Edw. 1 Magna Carta c. 30, an act of the English Parliament dated 1297.
List of Attorneys-General
| No.
| Name
| Took Office
| Left Office
| | 1. | Hugh Kennedy | January 31, 1922 | June 5, 1924
| | 2. | John O'Byrne | June 7, 1924 | January 9, 1926
| | 3. | John A. Costello | January 9, 1926 | March 9, 1932
| | 4. | Conor Maguire | March 10, 1932 | November 2, 1936
| | 5. | James Geoghegan | November 2, 1936 | December 22, 1936
| | 6. | Patrick Lynch | December 22, 1936 | March 1, 1940
| | 7. | Kevin Haugh | March 2, 1940 | October 10, 1940
| | 8. | Kevin Dixon | October 10, 1940 | April 30, 1946
| | 9. | Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh | April 30, 1946 | February 18, 1948
| | 10. | Cecil Lavery | February 19, 1948 | April 21, 1950
| | 11. | Charles Casey | April 21, 1950 | June 12, 1951
| | Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh | June 14, 1951 | July 11, 1953
| | 12. | Thomas Teevan | July 11, 1953 | January 30, 1954
| | 13. | Aindrias Ó Caoimh | January 30, 1954 | June 2, 1954
| | 14. | Patrick McGilligan | June 2, 1954 | March 20, 1957
| | Aindrias Ó Caoimh | March 20, 1957 | March 15, 1965
| | 15. | Colm Condon | March 16, 1965 | March 14, 1973
| | 17. | Declan Costello | March 15, 1973 | May 19, 1977
| | 18. | John M. Kelly | May 20, 1977 | July 5, 1977
| | 19. | Anthony J. Hederman | July 6, 1977 | June 29, 1981
| | 20. | Peter Sutherland | June 30, 1981 | March 9, 1982
| | 21. | Patrick Connoly | March 10, 1982 | August 16, 1982
| | John L. Murray | August 17, 1982 | December 14, 1982
| | Peter Sutherland | December 15, 1982 | December 12, 1984
| | 22. | John Rogers | December 13, 1984 | March 10, 1987
| | John L. Murray | March 11, 1987 | September 25, 1991
| | 23. | Harry Whelehan | September 26, 1991 | November 11, 1994
| | 24. | Eoghan Fitzsimons | November 11, 1994 | December 15, 1994
| | 25. | Dermot Gleeson | December 15, 1994 | June 26, 1997
| | 26. | David Byrne | June 26, 1997 | July 17, 1999
| | 27. | Michael McDowell | July 17, 1999 | June 6, 2002
| | 28. | Rory Brady | June 7, 2002 | present
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