Office of the Attorney General
“There shall be an Attorney-General for each State who shall be the Chief Law Officer of the State and a Commissioner for Justice of the government of that State...”— Section 195 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Establishment & Qualifications
The office of the Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State was established in 1968 after the creation of the State pursuant to State (creation & transitional provision) Decree 14 of 1967.
The appointed person is elevated to office by the Governor of the State. Eligibility requires strict qualification as a Legal Practitioner in Nigeria, backed by an established tenure of active practice for **not less than ten years**.
Executive Scope & Custodianship
The present Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State is Mr. Lawal Pedro SAN. As a vital member of the Lagos State Cabinet, he serves as the primary custodian of the law, acting aggressively in the public interest and driving all legal affairs of the administration.
The Attorney-General exercises supreme authority as the **Chief Public Prosecutor** in Lagos State for all criminal matters. Under the protection of S.211 of the Constitution, these powers are independent and entirely free from the direction or control of any external person or authority.
The Role & Strategic Functions
The Attorney-General oversees the comprehensive management of the Ministry of Justice framework. In executing these state responsibilities, functions are deployed both personally and structurally through dedicated Law Officers across the following operational departments:
Providing sound, authoritative legal advice to the State Government, Ministries, Statutory bodies, and vital Departments of Government.
Arranging strategic legal officers and expert lawyers to prosecute complex criminal matters across state courts.
Deploying specialized representation to institute, defend, or manage civil actions on behalf of the State, its parastatals, and partner agencies.
Keeping all laws applicable to Lagos State under continuous structural review to guarantee systematic development and modern legal reform.
Preparing rigorous executive bills in absolute alignment with directives from the Cabinet for enactment by the State House of Assembly.
Drafting and managing vital subsidiary legislation for government ministries and partner state institutions.
Attending the high-level State Executive Council meetings where policies are systematically formulated for the progression of Lagos State, alongside performing any other special duties assigned directly by the Governor.