Public Prosecution Service
PROVIDING THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN IRELAND “WITH A PROSECUTING SERVICE THAT IS INDEPENDENT, FAIR AND EFFECTIVE”
The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS) (formerly the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions) was formally launched on 13th June 2005. The PPS has responsibility for consideration and, where appropriate, the prosecution of all criminal cases in Northern Ireland. Prior to the creation of the PPS, criminal cases were prosecuted by the DPP and, in Magistrates and Youth Court cases, the PSNI.
Established under the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, the PPS was originally conceived as part of the Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland (2000). The key services PPS now provide are:-
* Decision to prosecute in all criminal cases in Northern Ireland investigated by police.
* Prosecutorial/Pre-charge advice to police
* Review of all charges prior to submission to court
* An enhanced service to victims and witnesses
* Production and issue of summons, many of which will be served by post, freeing up PSNI resources
* PPS lawyers conducting prosecutions in the Magistrates, Youth and County Courts (Appeals)
* Range of diversionary options (alternatives to formal court processes), such as informed warnings and cautions administered by police; and
* Diversionary youth conferences are arranged and monitored by the Youth Justice Agency.
New regional offices of the PPS are being established, following a successful Pilot Scheme. These will be located in Belfast (HQ), Omagh, Newry, Londonderry, Ballymena and Lisburn. It is hoped that the full roll out of services by these offices will be complete by 2007.
For more information on the Public Prosecution Service, please click here.
