The department is headed by the attorney general and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Justice.

Legal officers of the Department provide instructions to the Government and Governmental Institutions on Civil, Criminal, Constitutional and Commercial matters and represent the Government and Governmental Institutions for the Cases, instituted in the Supreme Court, other Courts and labor tribunals in the Island.

Parinda Ranasinghe was appointed Attorney General on 12 July 2024 by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

[2] Viraj Dayaratne was appointed Solicitor General on 28 November 2024 by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

[3] Lawyers' of the Attorney General's Department are known as the Law Officers.