Solicitor-General of Victoria


The Solicitor-General of Victoria, Australia is the state's Second Law Officer, behind the Attorney-General. The holders of this office are appointed by Cabinet on the basis of their legal expertise. Solicitors-General are members of the Executive. Formerly, they were elected members of parliament, but have not been so since the early/mid twentieth century.
The functions of the Victorian Solicitor-General are two-fold. First, they act as Victoria's senior legal adviser. Second, they represent the state in significant legal proceedings where Victoria is party, or where the Victorian Attorney-General intervenes either in Commonwealth matters under section 78A of the Judiciary Act 1903 or in matters concerning the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 under s 34 of that Act.
In 2003, Victoria appointed its first female Solicitor-General, Pamela Tate, following an unprecedented public advertising of the position.
NameAppointedConcludedCommentsNotes
15 7 1851 18 1 1852 Appointed Judge of the Supreme Court
13 4 1852 20 7 1852 Appointed Judge of the Supreme Court
21 7 1852 28.11.1855
4 1 1854 17 6 1856 Appointed Judge of the Supreme Court
27 6 1856 25 2 1857 Appointed Attorney-General
25 2 1857 11 3 1857
11 3 1857 29 4 1857
29 4 1857 10 3 1858
10 3 1858 27.10.1858
27.10.1859 5 3 1860
5 3 1860 26.11.1860
vacant27.11.18601 9 1869
2 9 1869 20 9 1869
19 1 1870 9 4 1870
9 4 1870 19 6 1871
19 6 1871 10 6 1872
10 6 1872 31 7 1874
31 7 1874 7 8 1875
vacant8 9 18758 7 1881
9 7 1881 8 3 1883
12 3 1883 23 4 1884
vacant24 4 188431 8 1890
1 9 1890 5 11 1890
vacant6 11 189015 2 1892
16 2 1892 23 1 1893
23 1 1893 23 5 1893
6 6 1893 27 9 1894
27 9 1894 5 12 1899
5 12 1899 19.11.1900
19.11.1900 10 6 1902
10 6 1902 6 2 1903
6 2 1903 7 9 1903
vacant8 9 190315 2 1904
16 2 1904 28 2 1908
28 2 1908 8 9 1908
8 9 1908 8 1 1909
8 1 1909 9 12 1913
9 12 1913 22.12.1913
22.12.1913 9 11 1915
9 11 1915 28.11.1917
29.11.1917 20 3 1918
21 3 1918 20 1 1920
20 1 1920 20 9 1920
20 9 1920 11 7 1924
11 7 1924 17 7 1924
18 7 1924 18.11.1924
18.11.1924 27 4 1927
28 4 1927 19 5 1927
20 5 1927 21.11.1928
26.11.1928 11.12.1929
12.12.1929 18 5 1932
19 5 1932 24 7 1934
25 7 1934 20 3 1935
20 3 1935 2 4 1935
2 4 1935 1 4 1938
22 4 1938 13 9 1943
14 9 1943 17 9 1943
18 9 1943 20.11.1945
21.11.1945 19.11.1947
20.11.1947 26 6 1950
27 6 1950 12.12.1951
12.12.1951 1 9 1964 Senior Counsel to the Attorney-General.
Appointed Chief Justice
2 9 1964 4 9 1974
5 9 1974 15 8 1982
16 9 1982
8 7 2003 1 9 2010
1 4 2011 10 3 2015
10 6 2015 28.11.2017
28.11.2017