Some laws have "private attorney general" provisions that permit individuals to file suit in court to vindicate important rights.
Critics include members of industry and public-service professions; some argue that as potential defendants, their opposition is based more in self-interest than in policy concerns.
For example, many criticized Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood for his litigation against insurance companies after Hurricane Katrina on the grounds that it undid the efforts of Governor Haley Barbour to improve the business environment in the state.
[1] In another example, eight state attorneys general unsuccessfully sued utility companies in an attempt to force implementation of global warming standards that the federal government had refused to adopt.
[2] Some critics cite the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers, arguing that rules that govern society as a whole should be rooted solely in laws enacted by legislative bodies.