Solicitor General for England and Wales

Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales of HM Government
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales of HM Government
	Royal Arms of Her Majesty's Government
	Incumbent; Alex Chalk; since 16 September 2021
	Attorney General's Office
Style	Solicitor
Reports to	Attorney General for England and Wales
Appointer	The Monarch; on the advice of the Prime Minister
Term length	At Her Majesty's Pleasure
Formation	Before 1460
Salary	135,229 as of April 2010
Website	www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, known informally as the Solicitor General, is one of the law officers of the Crown in the government of the United Kingdom. They are the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law. They can exercise the powers of the Attorney General in the Attorney General's absence. Despite the title, the position is usually held by a barrister as opposed to a solicitor.

There is also a Solicitor General for Scotland, who is the deputy of the Lord Advocate.^[2] As well as the Sovereign's Solicitor General, the Prince of Wales and a Queen consort (when the Sovereign is male) are also entitled to have an Attorney and Solicitor General, though the present Prince of Wales has only an Attorney General and no Solicitor General.

The Solicitor General is addressed in court as "Mr Solicitor" or "Ms Solicitor". The Solicitor General is shadowed by the Shadow Solicitor General who sits on the Official Opposition frontbench.

The role has been held by former barrister Alex Chalk since 16 September 2021.

Solicitors-General of England (and Wales), 1461–present[]

15th century[]

incomplete

1461–1470
1470-1483
1483–1485
1485–1503

16th century[]

1503–1507
John Ernley 1507–1514
John Port 1514–1521
Richard Lyster 1521–1525
Christopher Hales 1525–1531
1531–1533
Richard Rich 1533–1536
William Whorwood 1536–1540
1540–1545
Edward Griffin 1545–1552
1552–1553
William Cordell 1553–1557
Richard Weston 1557–1559
William Rosewell 1559–1566
Richard Onslow 1566–1569
Sir Thomas Bromley 1569–1579
Sir John Popham 1579–1581
Sir Thomas Egerton 1581–1592
Sir Edward Coke 1592–1594
Thomas Fleming 1595–1604

17th century[]

Sir John Doderidge 1604–1607
Sir Francis Bacon 1607–1613
Henry Yelverton 1613–1617
Sir Thomas Coventry 1617–1621
Sir Robert Heath 1621–1625
Sir Richard Shelton 1625–1634
Sir Edward Littleton 1634–1640
Sir Edward Herbert 1640–1641
Oliver St John 1641–1643 (continued to 1648 under parliament)
Sir Thomas Gardiner 1643–1645
Sir 1645–1649
Sir 1648–1649
John Cooke 1649–1650
Robert Reynolds 1650–1654
William Ellis 1654–1660
Sir Heneage Finch 1660–1670
Sir Edward Turnor 1670–1671
Sir Francis North 1671–1673
Sir William Jones 1673–1674
Sir Francis Winnington 1674–1679
Heneage Finch 1679–1686
Sir Thomas Powys 1686–1687
Sir William Williams 1687–1689
Sir George Treby 1689
Sir John Somers 1689–1692
Sir Thomas Trevor 1692–1695
Sir John Hawles 1695–1702

18th century[]

Sir Simon Harcourt 1702–1707
Sir James Montagu 1707–1708
Robert Eyre 1708–1710
Sir Robert Raymond 1710–1714
Nicholas Lechmere 1714–1715
John Fortescue Aland 1715–1717
Sir William Thomson 1717–1720
Sir Philip Yorke 1720–1724
Sir Clement Wearg 1724–1725
Charles Talbot 1726–1733
Sir Dudley Ryder 1733–1737
John Strange 1737–1742
William Murray 1742–1754
Sir Richard Lloyd 1754–1756
Charles Yorke 1756–1762
Sir Fletcher Norton 1762–1763
William de Grey 1763–1766
Edward Willes 1766–1768
John Dunning 1768–1770
Edward Thurlow 1770–1771
Alexander Wedderburn 1771–1778
James Wallace 1778–1780
James Mansfield 1780–1782
John Lee 1782
Richard Pepper Arden 1782–1783
John Lee 1783
James Mansfield 1783
Richard Pepper Arden 1783–1784
Archibald Macdonald 1784–1788
Sir John Scott 1788–1793
Sir John Mitford 1793–1799
Sir William Grant 1799–1801

19th century[]

Spencer Perceval 1801–1802
Sir Thomas Manners-Sutton 1802–1805
Sir Vicary Gibbs 1805–1806
Sir Samuel Romilly 1806–1807
Sir Thomas Plumer 1807–1812
Sir William Garrow 1812–1813
Sir Robert Dallas 1813
Sir Samuel Shepherd 1813–1817
Sir Robert Gifford 1817–1819
Sir John Copley 1819–1824
Sir Charles Wetherell 1824–1826
Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal 1826–1829
Sir Edward Sugden 1829–1830
Sir William Horne 1830–1832
Sir John Campbell 1832–1834
Sir Charles Pepys 1834
Sir Robert Rolfe 1834
William Webb Follett 1834–1835
Robert Rolfe 1835–1839
Sir Thomas Wilde 1839–1841
Sir William Webb Follett 1841–1844
Sir Frederic Thesiger 1844–1845
Sir Fitzroy Kelly 1845–1846
John Jervis 1846
Sir David Dundas 1846–1848
Sir John Romilly 1848–1850
Sir Sir Alexander Cockburn 1850–1851
Sir William Page Wood 1851–1852
Sir Fitzroy Kelly 1852
Sir Richard Bethell 1852–1856
James Stuart-Wortley 1856–1857
Sir Henry Singer Keating 1857–1858
Sir Hugh Cairns 1858–1859
Sir Henry Singer Keating 1859
Sir William Atherton 1859–1861
Sir Roundell Palmer 1861–1863
Sir Robert Collier 1863–1866
Sir William Bovill 1866
Sir John Burgess Karslake 1866–1867
Sir Charles Jasper Selwyn 1867–1868
Sir William Brett 1868
Sir Richard Baggallay 1868
Sir John Coleridge 1868–1871
Sir George Jessel 1871–1873
Sir Henry James 1873
Sir William Harcourt 1873–1874
Sir Richard Baggallay 1874
Sir John Holker 1874–1875
Sir Hardinge Giffard 1875–1880
Sir Farrer Herschell 1880–1885
Sir John Eldon Gorst 1885–1886
Sir Horace Davey 1886
Sir Edward Clarke 1886–1892
Sir John Rigby 1892–1894
Sir Robert Reid 1894
Sir Frank Lockwood 1894–1895
Sir Robert Finlay 1895–1900

20th century[]

	Term of office		Political party
Sir Edward Carson	7 May 1900	4 December 1905	Irish Unionist Alliance	3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Sir Edward Carson	7 May 1900	4 December 1905	Irish Unionist Alliance	Arthur Balfour
Sir William Robson	12 December 1905	28 January 1908	Liberal	Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Samuel Evans	28 January 1908	6 March 1910		Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Samuel Evans	28 January 1908	6 March 1910		H. H. Asquith
Sir Rufus Isaacs	6 March 1908	7 October 1910
Sir John Simon	7 October 1910	19 October 1913
Sir Stanley Buckmaster	19 October 1913	8 November 1915
Sir F. E. Smith	2 June 1915	8 November 1915	Conservative
Sir George Cave	8 November 1915	10 December 1915	Conservative
Sir Gordon Hewart	10 December 1915	10 January 1919	Liberal	David Lloyd George
Sir Ernest Pollock	10 January 1919	6 March 1922	Conservative
Sir Leslie Scott	6 March 1922	19 October 1922
Sir Thomas Inskip	31 October 1922	22 January 1924		Bonar Law
Sir Thomas Inskip	31 October 1922	22 January 1924		Stanley Baldwin
Sir Henry Slesser	23 January 1924	3 November 1924	Labour	Ramsay MacDonald
Sir Thomas Inskip	11 November 1924	28 March 1928	Conservative	Stanley Baldwin
Sir Boyd Merriman	28 March 1928	5 June 1929	Conservative	Stanley Baldwin
Sir James B. Melville	7 June 1929	22 October 1930	Labour	Ramsay MacDonald
Sir Stafford Cripps	22 October 1930	24 August 1931	Labour
Sir Thomas Inskip	3 September 1931	26 January 1932	Conservative
Sir Boyd Merriman	26 January 1932	29 September 1933
Sir Donald Somervell	29 September 1933	19 March 1936
Sir Donald Somervell	29 September 1933	19 March 1936		Stanley Baldwin
Sir Terence O'Connor	19 March 1936	7 May 1940		Stanley Baldwin
Sir Terence O'Connor	19 March 1936	7 May 1940		Neville Chamberlain
Sir William Jowitt	15 May 1940	4 March 1942	Labour	Sir Winston Churchill
Sir David Maxwell Fyfe	4 March 1942	25 May 1945	Conservative
Sir Walter Monckton	25 May 1945	26 July 1945	Conservative
Sir Frank Soskice	4 August 1945	24 April 1951	Labour	Clement Attlee
Sir Lynn Ungoed-Thomas	24 April 1951	26 October 1951	Labour	Clement Attlee
Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller	3 November 1951	8 October 1954	Conservative	Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Harry Hylton-Foster	18 October 1954	22 October 1959		Sir Winston Churchill
				Sir Winston Churchill Sir Anthony Eden Harold Macmillan
				Harold Macmillan
Sir Jocelyn Simon	22 October 1959	8 February 1962
Sir John Hobson	8 February 1962	19 July 1962
Sir Peter Rawlinson	19 July 1962	16 October 1964		Harold Macmillan Sir Alec Douglas-Home
Sir Dingle Foot	18 October 1964	24 August 1967	Labour	Harold Wilson
Sir Arthur Irvine	24 August 1967	19 June 1970	Labour	Harold Wilson
Sir Geoffrey Howe	23 June 1970	5 November 1972	Conservative	Edward Heath
Sir Michael Havers	5 November 1972	4 March 1974	Conservative	Edward Heath
Peter Archer	7 March 1974	4 May 1979	Labour	Harold Wilson James Callaghan
Sir Ian Percival	5 May 1979	13 June 1983	Conservative	Margaret Thatcher
Sir Patrick Mayhew	13 June 1983	13 June 1987		Margaret Thatcher
Sir Nicholas Lyell	13 June 1987	15 April 1992		Margaret Thatcher John Major
Sir Derek Spencer	15 April 1992	2 May 1997		John Major
Lord Falconer of Thoroton	6 May 1997	28 July 1998	Labour	Tony Blair
Sir Ross Cranston	28 July 1998	11 June 2001	Labour	Tony Blair

2001–present[]

Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative Labour

	Term of office		Political party
Harriet Harman^[3]	11 June 2001	10 May 2005	Labour	Tony Blair
Mike O'Brien^[4]	11 May 2005	29 June 2007		Tony Blair
Dame Vera Baird^[5]	29 June 2007	11 May 2010		Gordon Brown
Sir Edward Garnier^[6]	13 May 2010	4 September 2012	Conservative	David Cameron
Sir Oliver Heald^[7]	4 September 2012	15 July 2014
Robert Buckland^[8]	15 July 2014	9 May 2019
Robert Buckland^[8]	15 July 2014	9 May 2019		David Cameron Theresa May
Lucy Frazer^[9]	9 May 2019	25 July 2019		Theresa May
Michael Ellis	25 July 2019	2 March 2021		Boris Johnson
Lucy Frazer	2 March 2021	10 September 2021
Michael Ellis	10 September 2021	16 September 2021
Alex Chalk	16 September 2021	Incumbent

References[]

^ Information Office, House of Commons Information Office (September 2010). "Factsheet M6 Members Series – Ministerial Salaries" (PDF). House of Commons. House of Commons. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ "Solicitor General - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ "Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ "Rt Hon Mike O'Brien". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ "PCC appointed as victims' commissioner". 13 May 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ "Sir Edward Garnier QC – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ "About Sir Oliver". Rt Hon Sir Oliver Heald QC MP. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ Bet, Martina (14 June 2019). "How John Bercow's 'Brexit betrayal is absurd contradiction of democracy' – David Starkey". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ "New Solicitor General appointed". GOV.UK. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[1] Information Office, House of Commons Information Office (September 2010). "Factsheet M6 Members Series – Ministerial Salaries" (PDF). House of Commons. House of Commons. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[2] "Solicitor General - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[3] "Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[4] "Rt Hon Mike O'Brien". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[5] "PCC appointed as victims' commissioner". 13 May 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[6] "Sir Edward Garnier QC – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[7] "About Sir Oliver". Rt Hon Sir Oliver Heald QC MP. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[8] Bet, Martina (14 June 2019). "How John Bercow's 'Brexit betrayal is absurd contradiction of democracy' – David Starkey". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[9] "New Solicitor General appointed". GOV.UK. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

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