Proposed Bill Seeks to Grant Attorney General More Autonomy, Raises Constitutional Concerns
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The new bill seeks to grant the Attorney General's office more autonomy, including the power to select the Solicitor General independent of the President. This raises concerns about maintaining separation from the Executive.
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The bill establishes an Advisory Board chaired by the AG to handle employment of staff instead of the Public Service Commission, which the PSC argues defeats efforts to bring in qualified expertise.
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The PSC chair argues the AG cannot maintain independence from the Executive since the AG is inherently part of the Executive, unlike the DPP which has constitutional independence.
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The bill would end the AG's authority to deploy counsels to agencies without PSC approval, raising implications for staff and operations.
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Lawyers argue the amendments are unconstitutional since the AG remains under the Executive unless the Constitution is amended, and plan to legally challenge the bill.