AGY-4072 | Attorney General's Department [II]

Full description

The Attorney General's Department [II] was established on 1 July 1991 (1) when the function of supporting and assisting the judiciary and providing appropriate justice and court-related services was removed from the former Department. Two new departments were established - the Attorney General's Department [II] and the Department of Courts Administration. This division of functions had been a recommendation in a review of the Attorney General’s Department submitted by Coopers and Lybrand W.D. Scott in May 1989. (2)

The role of the Department was described as follows: 'The Attorney General’s Department provides the legal and administrative framework to facilitate the conduct of the Attorney General’s role as the first Law Officer of the Crown, as well as providing support services enabling the Attorney’s legislative and advisory responsibilities to be carried out.' (3)

By 1993 a structure for the newly constituted Department had evolved. The Department was headed by a Director General and Deputy Director General. There were four programs – Legal Services, Individual Rights, Legal Policy and Reform and Information and Regulation. The offices that performed these programs were independent business units many of which were statutory bodies:

The Legal Services Program was carried out by the Crown Solicitor’s Office, Public Defenders and the Building Industry Task Force;
The Individual Rights program was carried out by the Anti-Discrimination Board; Equal Opportunity Tribunal; Privacy Committee and the Victims Compensation Tribunal;
The Legal Policy and Reform Program was carried out by the NSW Law Reform Commission; Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research; Criminal Law Review Division and Legislation and Policy Division;
The Information and Regulation Program was carried out by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages; Attorney General’s Library Group; Barristers and Solicitors Admission Board; Legal Fees and Costs Board; Council of Law Reporting of NSW; Legal Profession Disciplinary Tribunal; and Conveyancers Licensing Committee. (4)

By June 1994 there were six programs - Justice Policy and Planning; Human Rights; Regulation of the Legal Profession; Commercial Enterprises; Legal Services and Information and Management Services. The offices that carried out the program were separate entities and the programs did not constitute a structure. Most of the offices reported to the Director General, but seven of them reported to the Deputy Director General. These were spread over four of the programs.

The Justice Policy and Planning program was carried out by the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee; Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research; Criminal Law Review Division; New South Wales Law Reform Commission; and Legislation and Policy Division.
The Human Rights program was carried out by the Anti-Discrimination Board; Equal Opportunity Tribunal; Privacy Committee; and Victims Compensation Tribunal
The Regulation of the Legal Profession Program was carried out by the Conveyancers Licensing Committee, Legal Fees and Costs Board; Legal Practitioners Admission Board; Legal Services Tribunal and the Office of the Legal Service Commissioner.
The Commercial Enterprises were the Crown Solicitor’s Office and the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages;
The Legal Services program was carried out by the Building Industry Task Force and the Public Defenders; and
The Information and Management Services Program was carried out by the Attorney General’s Library; Community Relations Division and Management Support Unit. (5)

On 5 April 1995 the Department of Courts Administration was abolished and the Attorney General’s Department absorbed its responsibilities thus creating a new agency. (6)

Endnotes
(1) NSW Government Gazette, 28 June 1991, p.5335.
(2) Department of Courts Administration annual report for the year ended 30 June 1992, p.7.
(3) Report of the Attorney General's Department for the year ended 30 June 1993, p.12.
(4) Ibid., p.15.
(5) Report of the Attorney General's Department for the year ended 30 June 1994, p.10.
(6) NSW Government Gazette, 5 April 1995, p.1860 (q).