The Law Officers
Rt Hon Baroness Scotland QC and Vera Baird QC MP The Attorney General is the Government's chief legal adviser on domestic and international law and the Solicitor General is her deputy. They also have public interest roles, for example in relation to criminal cases and contempt of court proceedings.
The Attorney General receives the budget and sets the strategic direction for the prosecuting departments, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which from 1 January 2010 incorporates the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO), and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The Law Officers are accountable to Parliament for their work, responsible for safeguarding the independence of prosecutors in taking decisions, and for ensuring that in the development of Government policy, due account is taken of the role of the prosecutors.
The Attorney General also oversees the functions of the Services Prosecuting Authority (covering the armed services), the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Northern Ireland, the Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol) and the Government Legal Service, Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), and is lead ministerial sponsor for the National Fraud Authority (formerly National Fraud Strategic Authority).
The current Attorney General is the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland QC and Solicitor General is Vera Baird QC MP. Both were appointed by the Prime Minister in 2007.