Attorney-General of
Western Australia
Western Australian Coat of Arms
Flag of Western Australia
Incumbent
John Quigley
since 17 March 2017
Department of Justice
StyleThe Honourable
Member of
Reports toPremier of Western Australia
SeatDumas House, Perth
NominatorPremier of Western Australia
AppointerGovernor of Western Australia
on the advice of the premier
Term lengthAt the governor's pleasure
Formation1831
First holderWilliam Mackie
(as Advocate-General)
Websitewww.justice.wa.gov.au

The Attorney-General of Western Australia is the member of the Government of Western Australia responsible for maintenance and improvement of Western Australia's system of law and justice. Before the advent of representative government in 1870, the title was Advocate-General of Western Australia. The Attorney-General must be a qualified legal practitioner. When there are none in the cabinet, a lay person is sometimes appointed to the office of Minister for Justice.[1]

The current Attorney-General of Western Australia, since 17 March 2017, is John Quigley who administers the portfolio through the Department of Justice and a range of other agencies.

One of Quigley's predecessors Christian Porter went on to become Federal Attorney General.[2][3]

List

This is a list of Attorneys-General of Western Australia, or any precedent titles.[4] The office of Attorney-General was not always filled: the Australian Parliamentary Library notes that where there was no lawyer among the ministers elected, there would be a Minister for Justice instead of an Attorney-General.[5][6]

Order Minister Party Premier Title Term start Term end Time in office
1 William Mackie none Advocate-General 1831 1834 2–3 years
2 George Fletcher Moore 1834 1846 11–12 years
3 Richard West Nash Acting Advocate-General 1846 1847 0–1 years
(2) George Fletcher Moore Advocate-General 1847 1852 4–5 years
4 B. W. Vigors Acting Advocate-General 1852 1854 1–2 years
5 George Frederick Stone Advocate-General 1854 1857 2–3 years
6 Richard Burnie 1857 1859 1–2 years
(5) George Frederick Stone 1860 1870 9–10 years
7 Robert John Walcott[7][8] Attorney-General 4 November 1870 December 1872 2 years, 27 days
8 Sir Henry Hicks Hocking[9] December 1872 30 June 1874 (1874-06-30) 1 year, 211 days
9 Sir George Walpole Leake QC 30 June 1874 16 January 1875 200 days
(8) Henry Hicks Hocking 16 January 1875 25 February 1879 4 years, 40 days
9 Sir George Walpole Leake QC 1 March 1879 24 November 1879 268 days
10 Edward Albert Stone 24 November 1879 21 March 1880 118 days
(9) Sir George Walpole Leake QC 21 March 1880 21 March 1881 1 year, 0 days
11 Alexander Onslow 21 March 1881 9 April 1883 2 years, 19 days
(9) Sir George Walpole Leake QC 9 April 1883 10 July 1883 92 days
12 Alfred Hensman 10 July 1883 18 June 1886 2 years, 343 days
13 Septimus Burt 19 June 1886 3 December 1886 167 days
14 Charles Warton 9 December 1886 December 1890 4 years, 20 days
(13) Septimus Burt none Forrest 29 December 1890 27 October 1897 6 years, 302 days
15 Richard Pennefather 27 October 1897 20 March 1901 3 years, 144 days
16 William Sayer Throssell 25 March 1901 27 May 1901 68 days
17 George Leake KC Leake 27 May 1901 21 November 1901 178 days
18 Frederick Moorhead Morgans 21 November 1901 23 December 1901 32 days
(17) George Leake KC Leake 23 December 1901 24 June 1902 183 days
19 Walter James James 1 July 1902 10 August 1904 2 years, 40 days
20 Norbert Keenan Ministerialist Moore Attorney-General 14 May 1906 14 May 1909 3 years, 0 days
21 John Nanson Ministerialist Wilson Attorney-General 16 September 1910 7 October 1911 1 year, 21 days
22 Thomas Walker   Labor Scadden 7 October 1911 27 July 1916 4 years, 294 days
23 Robert Robinson   Liberal Wilson 27 July 1916 28 June 1917 (1917-06-28) 2 years, 294 days
  Nationalist Lefroy 28 June 1917 (1917-06-28) 17 April 1919 (1919-04-17)
  Colebatch 17 April 1919 (1919-04-17) 17 May 1919 (1919-05-17)
24 Thomas Draper   Mitchell 17 May 1919 12 March 1921 1 year, 299 days
25 Thomas Davy   Nationalist Mitchell Attorney-General 24 April 1930 18 February 1933 2 years, 300 days
26 Hubert Parker   Labor Collier 22 February 1933 8 April 1933 45 days
27 Robert Ross McDonald   Liberal McLarty Attorney-General 1 April 1947 5 January 1948 279 days
28 Arthur Abbott   5 January 1948 23 February 1953 5 years, 49 days
29 Arthur Watts   Liberal Brand Attorney-General 2 April 1959 31 January 1962 2 years, 304 days
30 Ron Bertram   Labor Tonkin Attorney-General 3 March 1971 30 September 1971 211 days
31 Tom Evans   12 October 1971 8 April 1974 2 years, 178 days
32 Ian Medcalf   Liberal Court Attorney-General 22 December 1975 25 January 1982 7 years, 65 days
  O'Connor 25 January 1982 25 February 1983
33 Joe Berinson   Labor Burke 25 February 1983 25 February 1988 (1988-02-25) 9 years, 357 days
  Dowding 25 February 1988 (1988-02-25) 12 February 1990 (1990-02-12)
  Lawrence 12 February 1990 (1990-02-12) 16 February 1993 (1993-02-16) 3 years, 4 days
34 Cheryl Edwardes   Liberal Court 16 February 1993 21 December 1995 2 years, 308 days
35 Peter Foss   21 December 1995 16 February 2001 5 years, 57 days
36 Jim McGinty   Labor Gallop 16 February 2001 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) 7 years, 220 days
  Carpenter 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) 23 September 2008 (2008-09-23)
37 Christian Porter   Liberal Barnett 23 September 2008 12 June 2012 3 years, 279 days
38 Michael Mischin   28 June 2012 17 March 2017 4 years, 262 days
39 John Quigley   Labor McGowan 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17) 8 June 2023 7 years, 32 days
Cook 8 June 2023 incumbent

References

  1. ^ "Justice Ministers of Western Australia" (PDF). Parliamentary Library. Perth, WA: Parliament of Western Australia. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Barnett tried to keep Porter in WA". 12 June 2012.
  3. ^ Johnson, Paul (9 November 2020). "Turnbull tells Q&A he didn't know extent of Christian Porter revelations". ABC News.
  4. ^ "Membership of the Legislative Council, 1832-70" (PDF). Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  5. ^ "List of Australian Attorneys-General". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  6. ^ E. M. Russell, ‘Early Lawyers of Western Australia’, Journal and Proceedings (Western Australian Historical Society), vol 4, part 3, 1951, pp 32-53
  7. ^ "Events of the Month". The Herald. Fremantle, WA. 8 December 1870. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  8. ^ "Summary for the Mails". The Herald. Fremantle, WA. 12 October 1872. p. 3. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Arrival of the English and Colonial Mails". The Herald. Fremantle, WA. 15 February 1873. p. 3. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
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