Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973

10 Attorney General for Northern Ireland

(1) The Attorney General for England and Wales shall by virtue of that office be Attorney General for Northern Ireland also, and he and the Solicitor General shall by virtue of membership of the bar of England and Wales have in Northern Ireland the same rights of audience as members of the bar of Northern Ireland.

(2) If at any time the office of Attorney General for England and Wales is vacant any functions authorised or required by any enactment or otherwise to be discharged by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland may be discharged by the Solicitor General for England and Wales as his deputy, and any certificate, petition, direction, notice, proceeding or other document, matter or thing whatsoever authorised or required to be given, delivered, served, taken or done to, on or against the Attorney General for Northern Ireland may be given, delivered, served, taken or done to, on or against the Solicitor General for England and Wales.

(3) The Solicitor General for England and Wales may also act as Attorney General for Northern Ireland as deputy for the Attorney General for England and Wales if the Attorney General is unable to act owing to absence or illness, or if the Attorney General authorises the Solicitor General to act in any particular case.

(4) The Attorney General for Northern Ireland shall cease to be a member of the Northern Ireland Supreme Court Rules Committee but the members of that Committee shall include, in addition to those mentioned in section 8 of the [1962 c. 30.] Northern Ireland Act 1962, one practising member of the Bar of Northern Ireland nominated by the Attorney General.