Parties in a criminal case

Question 1

What are the two parties in a criminal case?

Answer 1

1. the prosecution (the party summoning the case against an accused).
2. the accused (the person or organisation alleged to have committed a crime).

Question 2

What is the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) role and who are they?

Answer 2

The DPP is the independent officer responsible for commencing, preparing and conducting prosecutions of indictable offences on behalf of the state of Victoria.

Question 3

What is the role of Victoria Police in prosecuting?

Answer 3

In less serious cases, Victoria Police officers will usually prosecute crimes in the magistrates’ court. Other organisations such as local councils, VicRoads and WorkSafe Victoria also have power to prosecute less serious offences.