The discussion was at times heated, as solicitor general Justin Gleeson and attorney-general George Brandis sparred with senators over their recent public feud.
The dispute between Attorney General George Brandis and Australia's second-highest ranking lawyer, solicitor General Justin Gleeson has become highly politicised.
And today there were some fiery exchanges between the Senators at a Committee hearing in Canberra.
Nationals senator Barry O'Sullivan at one point accused the panel's chair, Louise Pratt, of a cover-up.
The dispute is centred around a ruling by Senator Brandis that requires the Solicitor General to get his permission before giving legal advice to other members of parliament.
The Solicitor General, Justin Gleeson, says he wants that ruling overturned.
"The change is one which is making the function of my office exceptionally difficult."
The committee is looking into the new guidelines, which mean that no one - not even the Prime Minister - could seek legal advice from the Solicitor General without first getting the Attorney-General's approval.
Mr Gleeson says the implications are serious.
"Do I lie awake at night and think, reading this direction literally, the attorney general could seek an injunction against me to restrain me performing my office? I do."
But Senator Brandis says there's no cause for concern.
"I obviously do not agree with that. I regard this as merely an administrative arrangement."
There was further disagreement over whether Mr Gleeson knew Senator Brandis was planning to make the change.
Mr Gleeson says the ruling came as a surprise.
But Senator Brandis insists he did consult with his fellow law officer in a meeting last year.
He told the senators, the dispute comes down to semantics around the word "consult."
At one point he referred to the dictionary.
"I've taken the trouble of providing you with a photocopy of the, all the senses that are the dictionary understands of the word consult. This is not a word, this is not a word, that has one meaning in law and another meaning in common speech."
It's on this issue that Labor says Senator Brandis has acted inappropriately.
Senator Brandis told parliament he had consulted Mr Gleeson over the change.
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus says that amounts to misleading the parliament.
"I say again, Senator Brandis has misled the Australian parliament and on his own words it is a serious offence and the penalty for this offence is for him to resign.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says there's no need for that.
"I'm sure that whatever differences or misunderstandings will be resolved."
