Attorney
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Look up attorney in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Attorney may refer to:
A synonym for a lawyer in some countries
Attorney at law, the official title of a lawyer in some countries
Attorney general, the principal legal adviser to a government
Power of attorney, the power of a person, who may be but is not necessarily a lawyer, to act on someone else's behalf
Attorney-in-fact, a person who holds the power of attorney
See also
Attorney at law or attorney-at-law, usually abbreviated in everyday speech to attorney, is the official name for a lawyer in certain jurisdictions, including Japan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Brazil and the United States. In Canada, it is only used in Quebec.
Contents
1 England and Wales
2 Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
3 See also
4 References
England and Wales
The term was also used in England and Wales for lawyers who practised in the common law courts. In 1873, however, the Supreme Court of Judicature Act abolished the term "attorney", and attorneys were redesignated solicitors,[1] which had always been the title for those lawyers who practised in the courts of equity. Attorneys did not generally actually appear as advocates in the higher courts, a role reserved (as it still usually is) for barristers.
In England and Wales,[2] references in any enactment to attorneys must be construed as references to solicitors of the Senior Courts.[3]
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
In both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, various pre-partition statutes dealing with the whole of Ireland and governing court structures, procedures, and court officers remain in force, such as the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Ireland) 1877.
References in any statutory provision in force in Northern Ireland to attorneys must be construed as references to solicitors of the Court of Judicature.[4]
In the Republic of Ireland, references in any enactment to an attorney (or proctor) are to be construed as a reference to a solicitor.[5]
See also
Attorneys in Japan
Attorneys in Sri Lanka
Attorneys in the United States
Attorneys in South Africa
References
Jump up ^ Jowitt's Dictionary of English Law 3rd edition, London: Thomson Reuters (Legal) Limited 2010, p. 190
Jump up ^ The Solicitors Act 1974, section 90(4)
Jump up ^ The Solicitors Act 1974, section 89(6) as read with section 87(1)
Jump up ^ Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978, section 105(2)
Jump up ^ The Solicitors Act 1954, section 84
Categories:
Lawyers
Professional titles and certifications
Professional certification in law
