§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister what is her policy as to whether the Attorney-General should possess a legal qualification; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Attorney General is the principal legal adviser to the Crown in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the statutory duty to superintend the two Directors of Public Prosecutions and the director of the Serious Fraud Office. The Attorney-General appears personally on behalf of the Crown in appropriate cases. Accordingly, it is essential that he should be legally qualified, and the Attorney-General is a member of the Bar of England and Wales. He is given by statute, by virtue of his membership of the Bar of England and Wales, the same rights of audience in Northern Ireland as members of the Bar of Northern Ireland.