Our Divisions
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Mission
To promote a just criminal justice system by pursuing a fair and impartial policy in the prosecution of offenders.
Our Work
The Criminal Justice Division is the organisational extension of the
Attorney-General's role as the Public Prosecutor.
Under Article 35(8) of the Constitution, the Attorney-General has powers
to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for any offence.
Section 336 of the Criminal Procedure Code further provides that the Attorney-General shall be the Public Prosecutor, with control and direction of all criminal prosecutions and proceedings.
Officers of the Criminal Justice Division (CJD) act as Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) and Assistant Public Prosecutors (APPs) under the authority of the Attorney-General.
DPPs conduct criminal prosecutions in the Subordinate Courts and High Court. They also conduct Magistrate's Appeals and Criminal Appeals, and appear in Coroner's, Disposal and Preliminary Inquiries. APPs conduct only criminal prosecutions in the Subordinate Courts.
Besides criminal litigation, DPPs also exercise the Attorney-General's control and direction of criminal prosecutions by directing law enforcement agencies in their investigations. Investigation Papers from various enforcement agencies are submitted to CJD for DPPs to evaluate whether any offences have been disclosed and, if so, what charges should be preferred against the accused persons. Where further investigations are necessary, DPPs give directions for them to be carried out.
In view of the transnational nature of crime in our increasingly globalized world, CJD’s work also has an international dimension. Officers process all requests from foreign states for assistance in criminal matters, including extradition requests. In addition, CJD officers are also actively involved in negotiations for treaties and agreements involving criminal matters, as well as participating in international conferences on issues concerning criminal justice.
DPPs also routinely give legal advice on criminal justice matters to other governmental departments and agencies. They also process applications from advocates and solicitors seeking fiats for private prosecutions, such as those undertaken by intellectual property rights-holders.
Certain matters such as criminal trials in the Magistrate's Courts are delegated to the Police Prosecution Branch. Although not administratively part of the CJD, the Police Prosecution Branch is functionally linked to, and under the authority of, the Senior DPP (Courts) of the CJD.
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