Dane Luo: The Anomalous Islands of Public Interest Functions Immune from Judicial Review – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘The Attorney-General is an ancient office that is endowed with a very wide range of discretionary powers and functions. Some of those are classed as ‘public interest functions’. These derive from statutes and the prerogative, and include granting consent for certain prosecutions, applying for orders preventing vexatious litigants from bringing proceedings, entering a nolle prosequi, intervening in family cases and appointing an advocate to the court (amicus curiae). For each of these functions, the Attorney-General acts as the ‘guardian of the public interest’ (R v Attorney General, ex p Ferrante (unreported, 1 July 1994, Popplewell J)).’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 14th October 2025
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org