Office of the Solicitor-General in Brazil
Encyclopedia
The Solicitor-General of the Union (Advogado-Geral da União) represents the Brazil
ian Union before national courts and also provides legal advice to the Brazilian executive branch
.
The legal representation of the Union, performed by the Office of the Solicitor-General of the Union, also known as AGU (from Portuguese Advocacia-Geral da União), is defined by the 1988 Brazilian Constitution as one of the essential functions of Brazilian judicial administration, along with the roles performed by the judicial branch, the Prosecutor's office, the public defender
s and private lawyer
s.
All State Attorneys within the Office must be bar
members in Brazil
. The Solicitor-General of the Union is a member of the Brazilian cabinet
, holds the rank of Minister, and is nominated by the President of the Republic
, after the Senate´s approval. To be appointed, though, the Solicitor-General must be at least 35 years old, according to the Brazilian Constitution.
The Office of the Solicitor-General of the Union was created in 1993 with the main purpose of separating the prosecution activities - performed by the Office of the Prosecutor-General - from the activities related to the legal representation of the State and government advising, formerly performed by an only institution called "Office of the Attorney-General".
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Union before national courts and also provides legal advice to the Brazilian executive branch
Cabinet of Brazil
The Cabinet of Brazil is composed of the Ministers of State and senior advisors of the executive branch of the federal government of Brazil. Cabinet officers are appointed and dismissed by the President. There are currently twenty-four Ministries of State and fourteen other cabinet-level...
.
The legal representation of the Union, performed by the Office of the Solicitor-General of the Union, also known as AGU (from Portuguese Advocacia-Geral da União), is defined by the 1988 Brazilian Constitution as one of the essential functions of Brazilian judicial administration, along with the roles performed by the judicial branch, the Prosecutor's office, the public defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
s and private lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s.
All State Attorneys within the Office must be bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
members in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The Solicitor-General of the Union is a member of the Brazilian cabinet
Cabinet of Brazil
The Cabinet of Brazil is composed of the Ministers of State and senior advisors of the executive branch of the federal government of Brazil. Cabinet officers are appointed and dismissed by the President. There are currently twenty-four Ministries of State and fourteen other cabinet-level...
, holds the rank of Minister, and is nominated by the President of the Republic
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
, after the Senate´s approval. To be appointed, though, the Solicitor-General must be at least 35 years old, according to the Brazilian Constitution.
The Office of the Solicitor-General of the Union was created in 1993 with the main purpose of separating the prosecution activities - performed by the Office of the Prosecutor-General - from the activities related to the legal representation of the State and government advising, formerly performed by an only institution called "Office of the Attorney-General".
List of Brazilian Solicitors-General of the Union
| Solicitor-General | Date of service | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|
| José de Castro Ferreira | February 1993—May 1993 | President Itamar Franco Itamar Franco Itamar Augusto Cautiero Franco was a Brazilian politician and the President of Brazil from December 29, 1992, to January 1, 1995. During his long political career, Franco was also a Senator, Mayor, Ambassador, Governor and Vice President... |
| Alexandre de Paula Dupeyrat Martins | May 1993—June 1993 | |
| Tarcísio Carlos de Almeida Cunha | June 1993—July 1993 | |
| Geraldo Magela da Cruz Quintão | July 1993—December 1994 | |
| January 1995—January 2000 | President Fernando Henrique Cardoso Fernando Henrique Cardoso Fernando Henrique Cardoso – also known by his initials FHC – was the 34th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two terms from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2002. He is an accomplished sociologist, professor and politician... |
|
| Walter do Carmo Barletta | January 2000 | |
| Gilmar Ferreira Mendes | January 2000—June 2002 | |
| José Bonifácio Borges de Andrada | June 2002—December 2002 | |
| Álvaro Augusto Ribeiro Costa | January 2003—March 2007 | President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as... |
| José Antônio Dias Toffoli | March 2007—October 2009 | |
| Luis Inácio Lucena Adams | October 2009—present |
See also
- Attorney General (disambiguation)
- Attorney General in BrazilAttorney General in BrazilSince 1988, Brazil adopts a system in which the prosecution and the representation of the State are no longer concentrated in only one institution...
- Attorney GeneralAttorney GeneralIn most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...