Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory

The Solicitor-General is a statutory officer appointed pursuant to the Law Officers Act 1978 and is a separate, independent source of legal advice to the Attorney-General.

The Solicitor-General is responsible for the provision of high-level legal advice to the Attorney-General, executive government and the Cabinet Office. The Solicitor-General is also required, at the discretion of the Attorney-General, to provide advice to Parliament and its various committees.

The Solicitor-General also acts as counsel for the Crown in right of the Northern Territory of Australia, and for any other agency or person as requested by the Attorney-General. In particular, the Solicitor-General appears in matters where the legislative, executive or judicial powers of the Territory or the Commonwealth are in question, or where the interpretation of the Commonwealth Constitution is raised.

The Solicitor-General also holds appointment as the Statutory Supervisor of the legal profession in the Northern Territory pursuant to the Legal Profession Act 2006, and is the legal advisor to the Statehood Steering Committee.

The current Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory is Nikolai Christrup SC. Mr Christrup was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1999, called to the bar in 2004 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2018.  He was a barrister at William Forster Chambers for more than 15 years prior to his appointment.

Mr Christrup’s practice at the private bar was predominantly in commercial and civil law, acting as counsel in Supreme Court proceedings and providing advice to large organisations and to governments. He worked as an associate to Northern Territory Supreme Court Justice David Angel before practicing as a solicitor in two commercial law firms in Darwin. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Economics.

Crown Counsel and other counsel within the Solicitor-General's Chambers act as junior counsel to the Solicitor-General, and provide advice to the full range of government agencies.