Attorney general is the chief law officer for the governments of many countries. In the United States, the attorney general is appointed by the president, with the approval of the Senate, and serves in the Cabinet. The attorney general heads the Department of Justice and represents the government in legal matters (see Justice, Department of ). The responsibilities of the U.S. attorney general include advising the president and executive agencies and enforcing federal laws, particularly criminal statutes. Each U.S. state government also has an attorney general. In the United Kingdom and Australia, the chief law officer for the government is called the attorney general. In Canada, the minister of justice acts as the attorney general.
