A.1 THE ORGANISATION
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was established by the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1990 (“the Act”) to institute, conduct and supervise prosecutions and related proceedings. The Act provides that the Office be controlled by the Director, an independent statutory officer appointed by the Executive.
The current Director, Jon White, was appointed for a seven year term commencing on 15 September 2008.
The Director makes prosecutorial decisions independent of political influence or control. Although the Director reports to and through the Attorney General, the Director has complete independence in relation to the operations of his Office.
The Director has the powers mentioned in the Public Sector Management Act 1994, section 25(3) in relation to the staff assisting the Director, that is to say:
- the powers of the head of service relating to the appointment, engagement and employment of people; and
- the powers of a director-general.
The Act requires the Director and Attorney General to consult with each other, if required, concerning the functions and powers of the Director. The Attorney General may give directions to the Director, but any such directions must not be given without prior consultation; must be in writing and be presented to the Legislative Assembly; and be of a general nature only and not refer to a specific case. Any such direction or guideline is a notifiable instrument. There were no such notifiable instruments during the period covered by this report.
The Act ensures that the Director’s prosecuting role is independent of the police and other investigative agencies. Once a prosecution has been instituted all prosecutorial decisions are made by the Director.
The principal duties of the Director are:
- to institute and conduct prosecutions, both summary and indictable;
- to institute and respond to appeals;
- to restrain and confiscate assets used in, or derived from, the commission of criminal offences;
- to assist the coroner in inquests and inquiries; and
- to provide advice to the police and other investigative agencies.
The Director has some important statutory functions, including:
- to institute a prosecution on indictment where there has been no committal for trial (known as an ex officio indictment);
- to decline to proceed further in a prosecution and bring it to an end;
ANNUAL REPORT 2011-12 DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS 6
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