PART 1delivering ourmandate andcorporate planAGS Annual <strong>report</strong> <strong>2012</strong>–<strong>13</strong> 5
About AGSThe <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Government</strong> <strong>Solicitor</strong>(AGS) is the leading provider of legaland related services to <strong>Australian</strong><strong>Government</strong> agencies. We are oneof Australia’s largest national lawpractices, with an office in everycapital city. AGS provides servicesin 40 specialised areas of law.AGS is a statutory authority within theAttorney-General’s portfolio, establishedunder the Judiciary Act 1903. We aresubject to the <strong>report</strong>ing and accountabilityrequirements of the CommonwealthAuthorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act).We are also a government businessenterprise under the CAC Act and operateon a commercial and competitive basis.We have 2 shareholder Ministers – theAttorney-General and the Minister forFinance.AGS acts primarily for <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Government</strong>agencies and for entities in which the<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Government</strong> has an interest. Atthe request of executive governments, we canalso act for State and Territory governmentorganisations.We regularly provide advice to Cabinet and,more broadly, on policy development,law-making, commercial negotiations, riskmanagement, dispute management andlitigation in courts and tribunals. We alsoprovide extensive advice on public sectorcorporate governance issues, includingthe establishment and administration ofCommonwealth agencies.AGS has been appointed to each of the<strong>Government</strong>’s 4 legal services categories onthe Legal Services Multi-Use List, which beganin June <strong>2012</strong>. They are <strong>Government</strong> andAdministrative Law, Dispute Resolution andLitigation, Corporate and Commercial Law,and Other.OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSELAGS advises and assists Commonwealthagencies across the full spectrum ofgovernment administrative decisionmakingand activity. AGS’s Office of GeneralCounsel (OGC) delivers specialist legaladvice, constitutional litigation and relatedservices spanning the spectrum of theCommonwealth’s activities acrossall portfolios.OGC has key expertise in all aspectsof Commonwealth constitutional law,the development, implementation andinterpretation of Commonwealth laws,administrative law and the machinery ofgovernment and includes Australia’s leadingspecialists in statutory interpretation,constitutional law, public international lawand national security law.Our lawyers regularly advise on governance,the machinery of government, administrativelaw, statutory interpretation, freedom ofinformation and privacy, immigration law,health law, public revenue and finance,climate change, energy and water, Indigenousissues, employment law and workplacerelations. OGC also comments on allsubmissions to Cabinet. OGC lawyers alsoundertake a range of legislative drafting.6 AGS Annual <strong>report</strong> <strong>2012</strong>–<strong>13</strong>