<P> The Law Officers of the Commonwealth are the chief legal advisers to the Crown, and advise and represent the central and devolved governments in the United Kingdom and national and sub-national governments in other Commonwealth realms . </P> <P> In England and Wales, Northern Ireland and most Commonwealth and colonial governments, the chief law officer of the Crown is the Attorney General . In England and Wales the Attorney General is supported by the Solicitor General . Following devolution of justice to the Scottish Parliament a new position of Advocate General for Scotland was created to advise the UK Government on matters of Scots law . So there are three UK Government Law Officers: the Attorney General, the Solicitor General and the Advocate General for Scotland . </P> <P> There are also two Scottish Government Law Officers . In Scotland, the chief law officer to the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland is the Lord Advocate . The Lord Advocate is supported by the Solicitor General for Scotland . </P> <P> The Attorney General for England and Wales, a member of the UK Government, is similarly the chief law officer of the Crown in England and Wales and advises and represents the Crown and government departments in court . By convention, and unlike the papers of other ministers, this legal advice is available to subsequent governments . In the second half of the 20th century it became unusual for the Attorney General to be formally a member of the Cabinet . Rather he / she would attend only when the Cabinet required legal advice . </P>

Chief legal officer of the scottish government crossword clue