Solicitor General of Spain

The Solicitor General of the State is a senior official of the Ministry of Justice. The Spanish Solicitor General is the person in charge of directing the Legal Service of the Spanish Government and its relationship with all kinds of national or foreign organisms, entities and bodies. As head of the Legal Service is in charge of the representation and defense of the Kingdom of Spain before the courts, organs and international or supranational organisms in which it is a party in any jurisdictional, arbitral or extrajudicial proceedings. Likewise, it is also responsible for advising the Government and the organs of the Administration about issues of legality.

Solicitor General of the State
Abogado General del Estado
Coat of Arms of the Spanish Legal Service
Incumbent
David Vilas Álcarez
since 18 June 2024
Ministry of Justice
Office of the Solicitor General
StyleThe Most Illustrious
(formal)
Mrs. Solicitor General (informal)
Member ofGeneral State Administration
State Legal Service
Council of State Solicitors
NominatorMinister of Justice
AppointerCouncil of Ministers
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrumentRoyal Decree about the Directorate-General of the Contentious of 1849
FormationDecember 28, 1849
First holderVentura González Romero
DeputyDeputy Director General of Advisory Services
Salary 110,169.80 per year[1]
WebsiteOffice of the Solicitor General of Spain

The Solicitor General is nominated by the Minister of Justice and appointed by the Council of Ministers. To be appointed Solicitor General its needed first to be a State Solicitor. According to the law, in case of vacancy, absence or illness, it is the Minister of Justice who decides who should substitute him, if he do not do so, the law establishes that the senior deputy director-general must to replace him, in this case it would be the Deputy Director-General of Advisory Services.

Solicitor General's Office

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The Solicitor General's Office, officially called Solicitor General's Office-Directorate of the State Legal Service (Abogacía General del Estado-Dirección del Servicio Jurídico del Estado) is a Ministry of Justice department which assumes the direction of the State Legal Service, in such concept, corresponds to it the direction, coordination and inspection of the services entrusted to State Solicitors and State Attorneys, ensuring in all cases the maintenance of the principle of unity of doctrine in the exercise of the powers attributed to them.[2]

The Solicitor General's Office is assisted by a Cabinet, five deputy director-generals, a Secretary General and the different offices of the State Solicitor's before courts and other bodies, namely:

  • Solicitor General's Cabinet, officially called Solicitor's Office in the Ministry of Justice-Cabinet of the Solicitor General of the State which is responsible for the legal advice in the matters that may affect the State Legal Service, its organization and functioning as well as the legal advisement of the different departments of the Ministry of Justice.
  • Deputy Director-General of Advisory Services, which is responsible for the legal advice of the General State Administration and its different bodies, including State-owned companies, as well as giving legal advice to the autonomous communities and local administrations.
  • Deputy Director-General of Contentious Services, which is responsible for the representation and defense of the State and its autonomous agencies, as well as other public bodies and entities; state-owned companies and foundations with state participation; autonomous communities, local administrations and the constitutional bodies before any jurisdictions and jurisdictional organs, to the conflicts of jurisdiction and conflicts and questions of competence and to the preliminary and extrajudicial procedures in which the State is interested. It also corresponds to give legal advice on claims prior to the civil and labor court, in cases in which the opinion of the deputy general directorate is requested, and of the files for the payment of costs to be condemned by the State when it arises controversy. Likewise, it is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the principle of unity of doctrine in the scope of contentious functions, formulating general criteria for action in the trial for Solicitor and State Attorneys.
  • Deputy Director-General for European Union and International Affairs, which is responsible for the representation and defense of the Kingdom of Spain before the judicial bodies of the European Union and before the International Criminal Court. It also has competences, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in legal assistance in the infringement proceedings opened by the European Commission against Spain. It also offers legal assistance in the field of European Union law.
  • Deputy Director-General of Coordination, Audit and Knowledge Management, which is responsible for the coordination of relations between State Solicitors Offices that perform advisory functions and State Solicitors Offices that perform contentious functions. Likewise, it corresponds to this Deputy General Directorate the promotion of research works and the organization of activities aimed at the knowledge and dissemination of legal issues of national or international scope, as well as the organization of training and improvement activities for the civil servants of the State Lawyers Corps.
  • Deputy Director-General for Constitutional and Human Rights, which is responsible for the representation and defense of the State and its autonomous agencies as well as other bodies of the State in trial before the Constitutional Court. In the same way, it will develop the advice on procedural or substantive issues derived from the approach or processing of constitutional procedures; as well as, in particular, the advice, when requested by the Government or any of its members, on the constitutionality of the draft bills of any rank that have to be submitted for approval, and the legal examination and report, to petition of the Government or of any of its members, of the dispositions or resolutions of the autonomous communities that may be challenged before the Constitutional Court. Its also in charge of the representation of Spain before the European Court of Human Rights and the legal advice about European Convention on Human Rights issues and the legal advice about any other international treaty about human rights signed by Spain.

In the Office exists also a General Secretariat, an assistance body of the Solicitor General about administrative, economic and human resources matters.

Are also part of the Office, and depend directly from the Solicitor General:

Council of State Solicitors

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The Council of State Solicitors is a support body of the Solicitor General of the State formed by the Solicitor General and other eight State Solicitors that are appointed or removed by the Solicitor General.

The law requires that at least one of the State Solicitors is destinated to the consultive services of the State Legal Service, other to the contentious services and other to the peripheral administration (it's the decentralize administration of the State). The term of this members are 3 years and can be renewed.

The council has as duties the assistance and functional support to the Solicitor General, at the request of the latter, in matters that he considers of particular relevance or that entail new criteria and guidelines for the action of State Solicitors and the issuance of non-binding reports, if requested by the Solicitor General, with the nature of adopting the most relevant provisions for the internal functioning of the State Legal Service.

History

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The Solicitor General in Spanish have received many names. In the year of its creation, 1849, the Solicitor General received the name of Director-General of the Contentious of the Ministry of the Treasury or Director-General of the Contentious of the Public Treasury. This denomination was maintained until 1854 when start to be called General Advisor of the Ministry of Finance until 1877 when recovered its original name by being called Director-General of the Contentious of the State.

It remained that way until 1985, when the office was renamed Director-General of the State Legal Service. The current name of the office was established in 2000 being officially called Solicitor General of the State-Director of the State Legal Service although to simplify is called only Solicitor General of the State.

In its origins, the Solicitor General depended on the Minister of the Treasury and required that they be students of law, administrative science and have experience in the practice of the business of the Public Treasury. Its functions were limited to the powers of the Ministry of Finance and were responsible for issuing legal reports and supervising the prosecutors' actions in the courts.[3]

In the reform of 1881, that the State Solicitors assumed the two functions that they have today, the advisory function and the contentious function, in addition to the representation function.[4]

List of Solicitors General

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  Royalist
  Independent
Status
  Denotes service as acting Attorneys General
No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Prime Minister(s)
  Ventura González Romero
(1796–1870)
28 December 1849 25 October 1853 Ramón María Narváez
Juan Bravo Murillo
Federico Roncali
Francisco Lersundi Hormaechea
Luis José Sartorius
  Pedro Jiménez Navarro
(–1852)
25 October 1853 14 July 1854
  Jacobo Ulloa de las Riberas
(–1877)
29 December 1854 18 October 1856 Luis José Sartorius
Fernando Fernández de Córdova
Ángel de Saavedra
Baldomero Espartero
Leopoldo O'Donnell
Ramón María Narváez
Francisco Armero Peñaranda
  Antonio Pérez Herrasti 18 October 1856 6 May 1858
  Francisco de Cárdenas Espejo
(1817–1898)
6 May 1858 3 November 1863
Leopoldo O'Donnell
Saturnino Calderón Collantes
Leopoldo O'Donnell
Manuel Pando Fernández de Pinedo
  Juan Bautista Trúpita
(1815–1873)
5 November 1863 17 January 1864
  Rafael Ramírez Arellano
(1815–1873)
22 January 1864 28 August 1864 Lorenzo Arrazola
Alejandro Mon y Menéndez
  Ambrosio González y Rodríguez 28 August 1864 22 February 1865
Ramón María Narváez
  Felipe Vereterra 22 February 1865 15 October 1865
Leopoldo O'Donnell
10º   Vicente Hernández de la Rua
(1808–1890)
15 October 1865 15 July 1866
Ramón María Narváez
11º   Benito Plá y Cancela
(1812–1874)
15 July 1866 6 August 1868
Luis González Bravo
12º   Ignacio Paez Jaramillo 23 August 1868 9 October 1868
José Gutiérrez de la Concha
Francisco Serrano
13º
[note 1]
  Antonio Ramos Calderón 5 November 1868 30 June 1869
Juan Prim
Office suppressed between June 30, 1869 and July 26, 1874
14º   Justo Pelayo de la Cuesta Núñez
(1823–1889)
26 July 1874 5 January 1875 Juan Zavala de la Puente
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
15º   Emilio Cánovas del Castillo
(1832–1910)
15 January 1875 23 July 1877
Joaquín Jovellar Soler
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
-   Juan de la Concha Castañeda
Acting Solicitor General
(1818–1903)
23 July 1877 23 August 1877
15º   Emilio Cánovas del Castillo
(1832–1910)
23 August 1877 1 March 1878
16º   Antonio Sánchez de Milla 1 March 1878 18 August 1879
Arsenio Martínez-Campos
-   Fernando Cos-Gayón
Acting Solicitor General
(1825–1828)
18 August 1879 19 September 1879
16º   Antonio Sánchez Milla 19 September 1879 22 June 1880
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
17º   Saturnino Arenillas Paredes 22 June 1880 14 February 1881
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
18º   José Gallostra y Frau
(1833–1888)
14 February 1881 17 September 1881
19º   Manuel Nuñez de Haro 31 December 1881 11 January 1883
20º   Manuel Díaz Valdés 16 January 1883 12 March 1883
21º   Federico Pons y Montells
(1838–1902)
12 March 1883 23 July 1883
-   Manuel Nuñez de Haro
Acting Solicitor General
23 July 1883 20 August 1883
21º   Federico Pons y Montells
(1838–1902)
20 August 1883 22 January 1884
José Posada Herrera
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
22º   José de Cárdenas Uriarte
(1846–1907)
29 January 1884 16 August 1844
-   Plácido de Jove y Hevia
Viscount of Campo-Grande
Acting Solicitor General

(1823–1909)
16 August 1844 12 September 1884
22º   José de Cárdenas Uriarte
(1846–1907)
12 September 1884 1 December 1885
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
23º   Fidel García Lomas 3 December 1885 13 March 1886
-   Manuel de Eguilior y Llaguno
Acting Solicitor General
(1842–1931)
13 March 1886 7 April 1886
23º   Fidel García Lomas 7 April 1886 21 October 1886
24º   Manuel Gómez Marín 21 October 1886 13 September 1888
25º   José María Jimeno de Lerma
(?–1905)
30 September 1888 4 October 1890
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
26º   Francisco Javier González de Castejón y Elío
Marquess of Vadillo
(1848–1919)
4 October 1890 27 November 1891
27º   Fermín Hernández Iglesias
(1848–1919)
27 November 1891 20 December 1892
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
28º   Juan Rosell y Rubert
(1852–1925)
20 December 1892 22 March 1895
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
29º   Juan Armada y Losada
Marquess of Figueroa
(1861–1932)
11 July 1895 19 October 1897
Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero
30º   Manuel García Prieto
(1859–1938)
19 October 1897 31 May 1898
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
31º   Álvaro López Mora
(1853–1917)
1 July 1898 9 March 1899
Francisco Silvela
32º   Federico Arrazola y Guerrero
(1846–1913)
9 March 1899 29 April 1899
33º   Federico de Arriaga y del Arco 29 April 1899 21 May 1901
Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero
34º Antonio Fidalgo Sánchez-Ocaña 21 May 1901 15 September 1910
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Francisco Silvela
Raimundo Fernández Villaverde
Antonio Maura
Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero
Raimundo Fernández Villaverde
Eugenio Montero Ríos
Segismundo Moret
José López Domínguez
Segismundo Moret
Antonio Aguilar y Correa
Antonio Maura
Segismundo Moret
José Canalejas
35º   Pablo de Garnica y Echevarría
(1876–1959)
15 September 1910 13 June 1913
Manuel García Prieto
Álvaro de Figueroa
36º Antonio Fidalgo Sánchez-Ocaña 30 June 1913 23 March 1915
Eduardo Dato
37º   Nicanor de las Alas Pumariño
(1870–1935)
23 March 1915 18 December 1915
Álvaro de Figueroa
38º   Federico Marín y López 18 December 1915 27 September 1920
Manuel García Prieto
Eduardo Dato
Manuel García Prieto
Antonio Maura
Manuel García Prieto
Álvaro de Figueroa
Antonio Maura
Joaquín Sánchez de Toca
Manuel Allendesalazar Muñoz
Eduardo Dato
39º   Juan Díaz de la Sala 13 October 1920 3 January 1923
Eduardo Dato
Manuel Allendesalazar Muñoz
Antonio Maura
José Sánchez Guerra
Manuel García Prieto
40º   Antonio Fidalgo de Solís
(Son of the 34th and 36th Solicitor General)
30 January 1923 28 August 1926
Miguel Primo de Rivera
41º   Vicente Santamáría de Paredes y Rojas
Count of Santamaría de Paredes
(?–1961)
23 August 1926 16 April 1931
Dámaso Berenguer
Juan Bautista Aznar-Cabañas
Niceto Alcalá Zamora
42º   Valeriano Casanueva y Picazo
(–1961)
16 April 1931 11 March 1933
Manuel Azaña
43º   Luis Martínez Sureda 11 March 1933 13 June 1934
Alejandro Lerroux
Diego Martínez Barrio
Alejandro Lerroux
Ricardo Samper
Alejandro Lerroux
44º   Baldomero de Campo-Redondo y Fernández 18 June 1934 27 February 1936
Joaquín Chapaprieta
Manuel Portela
Manuel Azaña
45º   Luis de la Peña y Costa 27 February 1936 15 September 1936
Augusto Barcia Trelles
Santiago Casares Quiroga
Diego Martínez Barrio
José Giral
Francisco Largo Caballero
46º   José Prat García
(1905–1994)
15 September 1936 27 May 1937
Juan Negrín
47º   Eleazar Huerta Valcárcel
(1903–1974)
10 October 1937 8 February 1938
48º   Pedro Alfaro Alfaro
(?–1969)
8 February 1938 3 September 1941 Francisco Franco
49º   José María de Lapuerta y de las Pozas
(?–1970)
3 September 1941 16 October 1942
50º   Francisco Gómez de Llano
(1896–1974)
16 October 1942 27 July 1951
51º   José Fernández Arroyo Caro 27 July 1951 8 March 1957
52º   José María Zabia Pérez 8 March 1957 15 November 1963
53º   Luis Peralta España 15 November 1963 25 February 1966
54º   Juan Antonio Ollero de la Rosa 25 February 1966 23 April 1968
55º   José María Tejera Victory
(1917–1995)
5 May 1968 9 February 1973
56º   Alfonso Carrillo de Mendoza y Morales 9 February 1973 17 May 1974
Luis Carrero Blanco
Torcuato Fernández-Miranda
Carlos Arias Navarro
57º   José Luis Gómez Dégano y Ceballos Zúñiga
(?–)
31 May 1974 17 October 1986
Adolfo Suárez González
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo
Felipe González
58º   Fernando Valdés Dal-Ré
(1945–2023)
17 October 1986 2 November 1990
59º   Gonzalo Quintero Olivares 8 November 1990 18 September 1992
60º   Emilio Jiménez Aparicio 2 October 1992 24 May 1996
61º   José Javier Abad Pérez 24 May 1996 12 May 2000 José María Aznar
62º   Arturo García-Tizón López
(1946–)
12 May 2000 23 April 2004
63º   Joaquín Fuentes Bardají
(1953–)
23 April 2004 13 January 2012 José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
64º   Marta Silva de Lapuerta
(1969–)
13 January 2012 25 November 2016 Mariano Rajoy
65º   Eugenio López Álvarez
(1953–)
25 November 2016 29 June 2018
66º   Consuelo Castro Rey
(1964–)
29 June 2018 18 June 2024 Pedro Sánchez
67º   David Vilas Álcarez
(1973–)
18 June 2018 Incumbent

References

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  1. ^ "Retribuciones para el año 2017 para el organismo Ministerio de Justicia". transparencia.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  2. ^ "Royal Decree 997/2003, of July 25, which approves the Regulation of the State Legal Service". www.boe.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  3. ^ "Royal decree about the General Directorate of the Contentious of 1849 (Spanish)" (PDF). Gazeta de Madrid (Official State Gazette).
  4. ^ "Royal order approving the Regulation of the State Lawyers Corps of 1881 (Spanish)" (PDF). Gazeta de Madrid (Official State Gazette).

Notes

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  1. ^ Francisco García López was named the 13th Solicitor General on October 27, however he did not accept the office.