Director of Public Prosecutions (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
The Director of Public Prosecutions was created under the Fiji Independence Act of 1970 and came into being that year. In 1990 and subsequently in 1997, the powers of the Office of the DPP were provided for in the Fiji Constitution
, an entrenched document and the supreme law of the nation. Hence, the Office of the DPP is independent from the government and the police, and therefore answerable to the public at large due to its constitutional responsibility.
and the other Government Departments on the sufficiency of evidence for prosecutions, to conduct prosecutions of at all levels of Courts and to appear in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court
for Criminal Appeals. The prosecutors have no investigative function. In Fiji, the police have an investigative function.
Constitution of Fiji
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....
, an entrenched document and the supreme law of the nation. Hence, the Office of the DPP is independent from the government and the police, and therefore answerable to the public at large due to its constitutional responsibility.
Functions
The function of the Office of the DPP is to advise the policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
and the other Government Departments on the sufficiency of evidence for prosecutions, to conduct prosecutions of at all levels of Courts and to appear in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
for Criminal Appeals. The prosecutors have no investigative function. In Fiji, the police have an investigative function.