Swindon South MP Robert Buckland asked to carry on as Solicitor General

Robert Buckland MP has been asked to carry on in the role of Solicitor General by Theresa May PM.

The Attorney General and Solicitor General are the Government’s Law Officers. As chief legal advisers to the Government, it is their job to provide independent legal advice.

Mr Buckland said: “Government departments will often come to us for advice on how policy can be achieved in a lawful and proper way. We advise on a huge range of subjects from military law to zoology, from environmental to criminal matters and from international law to tax.

“We have the power to refer some criminal sentences to the Court of Appeal as potentially unduly lenient – all it needs is someone to complain about a crown court sentence being far too low – and we are on board examining. Cases are referred to us by the Crown Prosecution Service, members of the public and MPs. Sentences can be overturned by the Court and new sentences imposed.”

Robert was first appointed to the role in 2014.  He is the deputy to the Attorney General and acts as an advisor to the Crown departments and the Cabinet on issues of law. He brought with him many years of experience from his career as a barrister working mainly in criminal law and his work as a part-time Crown Court Judge prior to his election as local MP.

 

In his role as Solicitor General, Robert can also provide consent to prosecute certain categories of criminal offences such as those relating to the Official Secrets Act, explosives and certain terrorism offences.

Additionally, the Attorney General and Solicitor General superintend the Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office, HMCPSI and the Treasury Solicitors department.