The Attorney-General's Department, also known as the Department of the Attorney-General, is the law enforcement and justice department of the Australian Government. The department is responsible for improving Australia's federal law and judicial framework and provides legal advice and services to the Australian Government. The department also oversees various statutory authorities and child agencies including the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The head of the department is Attorney-General for Australia, currently Michelle Rowland, who is assisted by the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, currently Katherine Jones .
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History
The Attorney-General's Department is one of seven original Commonwealth Departments of state, commencing with the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. It is one of only three departments, along with Defence and Treasury, to have operated continuously under their original name and charter since Federation.
Organisation
The department is organised into five groups, each headed by a Deputy Secretary. These Deputy Secretaries report to the Secretary who co-ordinates and devises departmental structure and policy.
These five groups are:
Australian Government Solicitor
Justice and Communities
National Security and Criminal Justice
Integrity and International
Enabling Services.
The Attorney-General's Department is located at the Robert Garran Offices, 3-5 National Circuit, Barton in the Australian Capital Territory.
Departmental Secretary
The permanent secretary of the Attorney-General's Department is the non-political public service head of the department. This role dates from federation, and the first incumbent, Sir Robert Garran, was the first (and for a time the only) public servant employed by the federal government. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing the first federal election and setting up the rest of the federal bureaucracy by transferring state government functions to the federal government.
From 1916, when the position of Solicitor-General of Australia was created as the second law officer and deputy of the Attorney-General, the permanent secretary served concurrently as Solicitor-General, until the two roles were separated in 1964. Under the Law Officers Act passed that year, the Solicitor-General's role was clarified as statutory counsel deputising for the Attorney-General, separate from the role of the permanent secretary.
On the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General has appointed the following individuals as Secretary of the department:
Mission and outcomes
The mission of the department is to "deliver programs and policies to maintain and improve Australia's law and justice framework" and to provide legal services to the Australian Government.
Operational functions
In an Administrative Arrangements Order made on 13 May 2025, the functions of the department were broadly classified into the following matters:
Law and justice, including -
Administrative law
Alternative dispute resolution
Constitutional law
Courts and tribunals
Human rights
International law
Law reform
Legal assistance
Legislative drafting
Marriage and family law
Legal services to the Commonwealth
Administration of criminal justice, including –
Criminal law policy and principles of criminal responsibility
Matters relating to prosecution
Sentencing and management of federal offenders
Internal crime co-operation, including extradition and mutual assistance in criminal matters
Identity and biometrics
Administrative support for Royal Commissions and certain other inquiries
Privacy