Qld reviews adequacy of its DPP
A review of the Queensland Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) will examine whether it has adequate expertise as well as support from the criminal justice system to carry out
A review of the Queensland Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) will examine whether it has adequate expertise as well as support from the criminal justice system to carry out its role.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice Rod Welford recently released the terms of reference for the Premier’s previously announced review into the functions of the ODPP.
Welford stressed the Premier’s involvement in the review and explained their mutual ambitions for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“Both the Premier and I have made it clear that we want the DPP to have the resources and expertise to be the best in the country,” he said.
The review will call for contributions from a committee of representatives from the justice system, comprising experts from the higher courts, the Bar Association and Legal Aid Queensland.
It will also examine those aspects of the Department of Justice and Attorney General that are important to the efficiency of the ODPP. As well as proposing strategies, the review will analyse whether the ODPP has an adequate combination of expertise, conditions and work practices to manage its prosecution caseload.
Additionally, operations within the ODPP will be examined with a particular focus on administrative and management systems.
“I am determined to have the Queensland DPP set a very high standard and have the complete confidence of the legal profession, the judiciary and the Queensland people,” Welford concluded.