Attorney General Jeremy Wright

Attorney General Jeremy Wright
Name	Jeremy Wright
Office	Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland
Term start	2014
Term end	2018
Predecessor	Dominic Grieve
Successor	Geoffrey Cox
Birth date	1972
Birth place	Walsall
Party	Conservative Party
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge

Attorney General Jeremy Wright is a British barrister and politician who served as Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland from 2014 to 2018. He was Member of Parliament for Kenilworth and Southam from 2005 to 2017 and for Kenilworth and Southam until 2019, and later became a corporate lawyer and director. Wright's ministerial roles intersected with high-profile 2015 general election issues, the 2016 EU referendum, and constitutional disputes involving the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Early life and education

Wright was born in Walsall and educated at King Edward VI School, Birmingham before reading Law at St John's College, Cambridge, where he was contemporaries with figures linked to Cambridge Union Society, Cambridge University Conservative Association, Cambridge University Boat Club and various alumni who entered Parliament of the United Kingdom, Civil Service and Bar of England and Wales. During his university years he engaged with student organisations associated with the Conservative Party, and later undertook vocational training leading to call to the Bar of England and Wales.

Legal career and qualifications

Wright was called to the Bar of England and Wales and practised as a barrister, taking instructions in matters that brought him into contact with chambers connected to the Inns of Court and cases heard at the Crown Court and High Court of Justice. His legal qualifications included pupillage and tenancy at a set linked to practitioners who appeared before judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the Queen's Bench Division, and counsel who have represented clients in litigation involving statutory interpretation of Acts such as the Human Rights Act 1998 and proceedings under the European Convention on Human Rights. He maintained links with professional bodies including the Bar Council and was involved in legal training alongside other members of the Conservative Party who had legal backgrounds, such as Dominic Grieve, Kenneth Clarke, David Gauke and Chris Grayling.

Political career

Wright entered electoral politics as candidate for the Conservative Party and won the Kenilworth and Southam seat at the 2005 general election, joining a cohort of MPs including David Cameron, George Osborne, William Hague and Theresa May. He served on committees and in frontbench roles before being appointed Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy and later as Attorney General for England and Wales. His ministerial colleagues included John Whittingdale, Ed Vaizey, Matt Hancock, and his tenure spanned the governments of David Cameron and Theresa May. Wright voted on issues tied to the 2016 EU referendum and took part in parliamentary stages of legislation such as the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 and debates involving the Withdrawal Agreement.

Tenure as Attorney General

As Attorney General for England and Wales, Wright advised the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and represented the Crown in matters that brought him into engagement with the Crown Prosecution Service, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Serious Fraud Office, and the Civil Service. He provided legal opinions on prerogative powers that were later considered by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in cases about Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union and the role of Parliament of the United Kingdom in authorising withdrawal from the European Union. Wright's office advised on criminal law reforms linked to legislation such as the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, data retention measures debated with the Information Commissioner's Office, and prosecutions involving national security reviewed by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.

Notable cases and legal positions

Wright took legal positions on cases that intersected with high-profile litigation including advisory opinions relating to the Miller v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union litigation before the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, disputes involving the Crown Prosecution Service charging decisions, and prosecutions scrutinised by the European Court of Human Rights. He advised on the government's position in hearings before judges such as Lady Hale, Lord Reed, Lord Neuberger and other justices who authored judgments affecting statutory interpretation of the European Communities Act 1972 and the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998. Wright's views influenced prosecutorial discretion in cases involving media organisations like BBC, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and corporate investigations involving firms such as Google, Facebook and Sky where regulatory and competition issues overlapped with criminal and civil proceedings.

Controversies and criticism

Wright faced criticism from opposition MPs including Keir Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn, Yvette Cooper and Anna Soubry over his legal advice and interventions, particularly around the Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union process and the handling of ministerial legal briefings. Commentators in outlets such as The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, and The Financial Times debated his legal reasoning, and civil liberties groups including Liberty (human rights organisation), Big Brother Watch and academics from institutions like Oxford University, Cambridge University and the London School of Economics criticised aspects of policy where his office advised on investigatory powers and surveillance. Judicial criticism emerged in some rulings where courts examined the government's legal positions advanced by the Attorney General's office.

Personal life and honours

Wright's personal life has connections to Warwickshire; he has engaged with local institutions such as Warwickshire County Council and charities rooted in Kenilworth and Stratford-upon-Avon. He has been recognised within political circles and granted appointments that align with former Attorneys General such as Dominic Grieve and Robert Buckland. Wright has appeared at events alongside figures from the Conservative Party and legal community including peers from the House of Lords, academicians from King's College London, University College London and practitioners from the Bar Council.

Category:Attorneys General for England and Wales Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom