The Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the Second Law Officer to the Attorney-General of Australia

Attorney-General of Australia

The Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown, chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a minister of the Crown. The Attorney-General is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but there is no constitutional requirement that this be the case since the...

. The holders of this office are not members of parliament.

The primary function of the Commonwealth Solicitors-General have been to appear in the Commonwealth's interest in important legal proceedings, particularly in the High Court

High Court of Australia

The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...

. The Solicitor-General also acts as the Commonwealth's senior legal adviser.

Name	Period in office
Robert Garran Robert Garran Sir Robert Randolph Garran GCMG KC was an Australian lawyer and public servant, an early leading expert in Australian constitutional law, the first employee of the Government of Australia and the first Solicitor-General of Australia...	1916-32
George Knowles	1932-46
Kenneth Bailey	1946-64
Anthony Mason	1964-69
Robert Ellicott	1969-73
Maurice Byers	1973-83
Gavan Griffith	1984-97
David Bennett David Bennett (barrister) David Michael John Bennett AC, QC is an Australian barrister and former Solicitor-General of Australia.-Early years:...	1998- 2008
Stephen Gageler	2008-Present