Solicitor-General (New Zealand)
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The Solicitor-General of New Zealand is the second law officer of state in New Zealand. The Solicitor-General is also head of the Crown Law Office, that comprises lawyers employed to represent the Attorney-General in court proceedings in New Zealand.
Under section 9A of the Constitution Act 1986 the Solicitor-General can exercise almost all of the statutory functions conferred on the Attorney-General. As the non-political Law Officer, the Solicitor-General has traditionally assumed responsibility for the exercise of those functions that should be undertaken independently of the political process. The Crown Law Office supervises the prosecution of major criminal offences, with most prosectutions being conducted by regional law firms that act as Crown Solicitors.
The current Solicitor-General is Dr David Collins QC, who was appointed in August 2006. His predecessor was Terence Arnold QC, who was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeal in May 2006. There has been a usual practice of appointing the Solicitor General as a Judge of the High Court, although Terrence Arnold's predecessor, John McGrath QC, was appointed to the Court of Appeal in July 2000. (Justice McGrath was subsequently appointed to the Supreme Court in May 2005.)
List of recent Solicitors General of New Zealand
- Dr David Collins QC
- Terence Arnold QC (2000 - 2006)
- John McGrath QC (1989 - 2000)
- Paul Neazor QC
- Richard Savage QC
- John White QC
- Richard Wild QC (subsequently Chief Justice of New Zealand).