The office of the Attorney-General is constituted under Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore. The duty of the Attorney-General's Chambers is to advise the Government upon such legal matters and to perform such other duties of a legal character as may from time to time be referred to it by the Government.
The Mission Statement of the Attorney-General's Chambers is to "enhance the rule of law and constitutional government in Singapore by providing sound legal advice and assistance in developing a fair and responsive legal system, furthering good public administration and protecting the interest of the state and of the people."
The Attorney-General's Chambers in Singapore can be traced back to the establishment of the Straits Settlements by the British Government in 1867. Prior to 1867, the function of legal advisor to the Government was exercised by the Recorder of the Prince of Wales Island (Penang), Malacca and Singapore from 1826 to 1855, the Recorder of Singapore from 1855 to 1864 and the Crown Counsel, Singapore from 1864 to 1867. After the fall of Singapore in Feb 1942, the Japanese Administration set up an office of the Kensatku-Kan or Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor. This was located in the Supreme Court Building.
With the surrender of the Japanese in 1945, the responsibility for rendering legal advice to the British Military Administration lay with its Chief Legal Officer until the establishment on 1 Apr 1946 of the Crown Colony of Singapore. The Chambers returned to its former premises on the ground floor of the Government Building at Empress Place.
Attorney-General's Chambers was re-located twice - first to the High Street premises in 1971 and then to the present offices in the Adelphi Building in 1991.
