The politics of the Falkland Islands takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary representative democratic dependency as set out by the constitution,whereby the Governor exercises the duties of head of state in the absence of the monarch and the Chief Executive is the head of the Civil Service,with an elected Legislative Assembly to propose new laws,national policy,approve finance and hold the executive to account.
In most common law jurisdictions,the attorney general or attorney-general is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions,attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enforcement,prosecutions or even responsibility for legal affairs generally. In practice,the extent to which the attorney general personally provides legal advice to the government varies between jurisdictions,and even between individual office-holders within the same jurisdiction,often depending on the level and nature of the office-holder's prior legal experience.
In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms,a King's Counsel is a senior trial lawyer appointed by the monarch of the country as a 'Counsel learned in the law'. When the reigning monarch is a woman,the title is called Queen's Counsel (QC).
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior lawyer in some countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. "Senior Counsel" is used in current or former Commonwealth countries or jurisdictions that have chosen to change the title "King's Counsel" to a name without monarchical connotations,usually related to the British monarch that is no longer head of state,such that reference to the King is no longer appropriate. Examples of jurisdictions that have made the change because of the latter reason include Mauritius,Zambia,India,Hong Kong,Ireland,South Africa,Kenya,Malawi,Singapore,Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Jurisdictions that have retained the monarch as head of state,but have nonetheless opted for the new title include some states and territories of Australia,as well as Belize.
In the United States,a district attorney (DA),county attorney,county prosecutor,state's attorney,prosecuting attorney,commonwealth's attorney,state attorney or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area,typically a county or a group of counties. The exact scope of the office varies by state. Generally,the prosecutor represents the people of the jurisdiction. With the exception of three states,district attorneys are elected,unlike similar roles in other common law jurisdictions.
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal criminal prosecutor in their judicial district and represents the U.S. federal government in civil litigation in federal and state court within their geographic jurisdiction. U.S. attorneys must be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate,after which they serve four-year terms.
The governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973.
The Law Officers are the senior legal advisors to His Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom and devolved governments of Northern Ireland,Scotland and Wales. They are variously referred to as the Attorney General,Solicitor General,Lord Advocate,or Advocate General depending on seniority and geography - though other terms are also in use,such as the Counsel General for Wales. Law Officers in these roles are distinguished by being political appointees,while also being bound by the duties of independence,justice and confidentiality among the other typical professional commitments of lawyers. These roles do not have any direct oversight of prosecutions nor do they directly lead or influence criminal investigations. This is a distinguishing factor between Law Officers and the State Attorneys General of the United States or US Attorney General.
John Clarke MacDermott,Baron MacDermott,,PC (NI),was a Northern Irish politician,barrister,and judge who served as Attorney-General for Northern Ireland,a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary,and Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. He was the first law lord to be appointed from Northern Ireland.
Naomi Rachel Long MLA is a Northern Irish politician who has served as Minister of Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive since February 2024,having previously served from January 2020 to October 2022. She has served as leader of the Alliance Party since 2016 and a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Belfast East since 2020.
Robert Douglas Carswell,Baron Carswell,,was a British barrister and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.
The Oregon attorney general is a statutory officer within the executive branch of the state of Oregon,and serves as the chief legal officer of the state,heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The attorney general is chosen by statewide partisan election to serve a term of four years. The incumbent,Ellen Rosenblum,was sworn in on June 29,2012,replacing John Kroger,a Democrat who was elected in 2008 and resigned six months before the end of his term to become president of Reed College. She was re-elected in 2016 and 2020.
William Brian Maginess,QC,was a member of the Government of Northern Ireland,who was widely seen as a possible successor to The 1st Viscount Brookeborough as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
The Bar of Northern Ireland is the professional association of barristers for Northern Ireland,with over 600 members. It is based in the Bar Library,beside the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast,together with the Bar Council of Northern Ireland and the Executive Council. The Executive Council has taken on many of the functions formerly exercised by the Benchers of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland,which was established at a meeting of the Bench and Bar held on 11 January 1926.
John F. Larkin,is the former Attorney General for Northern Ireland.
The Bar of Ireland is the professional association of barristers for Ireland,with over 2,000 members. It is based in the Law Library,with premises in Dublin and Cork. It is governed by the General Council of the Bar of Ireland,commonly called the Bar Council of Ireland,which was established in 1897. The Council is composed of twenty-five members:twenty who are elected,four co-opted,and the Attorney-General,who holds office ex officio. Every year,ten members are elected for two-year terms;five by senior counsel and five by junior counsel.
Sir Charles Declan Morgan PC is a retired judge from Northern Ireland.
Dame Siobhan Roisin Keegan is a Northern Irish judge who has been Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland since September 2021. She was formerly a judge of the High Court of Northern Ireland from October 2015 until her appointment as Lord Chief Justice,prior to which,she practised as a barrister specialising in family law.
ʻAlisi Afeaki Taumoepeau is a Tongan politician. She became the first woman to hold a Cabinet post in Tonga when she was named Attorney general and Minister of Justice in 2006.
Prior to the 20th Century,there were few women in law in the United Kingdom. Prior to the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919,women were not permitted to practice law in the United Kingdom. By 1931 there were around 100 female solicitors. The first female-only law partnership was founded in 1933. By 2019 51% of British solicitors were women.
