Public Prosecutions
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) prosecutes those offences committed against the laws of the State of South Australia that are tried in the District or Supreme Court. The ODDP also prosecutes offences of a sensitive nature or complexity in the Youth Court and the Magistrates Court. The Office is independent and was established under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1991. It is made up of lawyers, witness assistance officers and administrative staff. There are two types of lawyers in the ODPP - prosecutors who appear in court as counsel during a trial and solicitors who prepare matters for prosecution.
The powers of the Director are specified in the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, 1991. They are to:
- Lay charges of indictable or summary offences against the law of the State.
- Prosecute indictable or summary offences against the law of the State.
- Claim and enforce, either on behalf of the Crown or other persons, civil remedies that arise out of, or are related to, prosecutions commenced by the Director.
- Take proceedings for, or in relation to, the confiscation of profits of crime.
- Institute civil proceedings for contempt of court.
- Enter a nolle prosequi* or otherwise terminate a prosecution in appropriate cases.
- Grant immunity from prosecution in appropriate cases.
- Exercise rights of appeal arising from proceedings listed above.
- Carry out any other function assigned to the Director by any other Act or by regulation under the DPP Act.
- Do anything incidental to these powers.
* nolle prosequi - a decision not to proceed with all or part of a case.
For more information visit www.dpp.sa.gov.au.
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