- I was a victim of a criminal offence: consequences and reactions
- The rights of victims of a criminal offence
- Right to be treated with respect and dignity
- Right to privacy
- Right to information about rights from the first contact with the competent authority
- Right to be heard
- Right to interpretation and translation
- Right to be accompanied by a victim support association
- Right to be accompanied by a legal representative and an adult of your choice
- Right to declare a third party’s address as a home address (with their consent)
- Right to return of property
- Right to compensation
- Right to legal aid
- Right to an individualised assessment
- Right to specific protection measures
- Social protection rights
- Right to an alternative to criminal proceedings: mediation
- Right to benefit from restorative justice measures
- Right to information on appeals and remedies
- Criminal proceedings
- Who is who in criminal proceedings
Magistrates of the Public Prosecutor’s Office
The function of the Public Prosecutors is to request (= demand) the application of criminal law. They defend the public interest and are a party to the criminal proceedings. The term ‘standing judiciary’ is used to refer to the court officials of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, because when they speak in court they do so standing up.
The magistrates of the Public Prosecutor’s Office comprise the Public Prosecutor, his or her delegates and the Advocates-General.
They do not judge cases, unlike the sitting judiciary, but their role is to represent society by defending its interests. They ensure that the criminal law is respected by the judges in the courts.
The General Attorney and the Advocates-General defend the interests of society in the Court of Assizes, the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation, and the Public Prosecutor defends them in the Criminal or Police Courts.
When an offence is committed, the Public Prosecutor is informed by the filing of a complaint. The Public Prosecutor then launches the investigations, in collaboration with the judicial police, and possibly the Investigating Judge. During this procedure, the Public Prosecutor supervises the judicial police and manages any custody measures and arrests.
At the end of this phase, the Prosecutor decides whether to close the case without further action, propose an alternative measure to prosecution, or initiate criminal proceedings against the alleged offender.