Related Pages
Related Publications
- 25th Anniversary Speech delivered by Director of Public Prosecutions
- Confiscating the Proceeds of Crime in Victoria Australia
- Crown Advocacy in Plea Proceedings
- Opening of the 2008 Victorian Legal Year
- Prosecution Policies and Guidelines
- Seeking Justice and Seeking Convictions: Striking the Proper Prosecutorial Balance in High Profile Cases
- 'R (PURDY) v DPP - Implications for Prosecuting Authorities' - Speech delivered by Director of Public Prosecutions, Jeremy Rapke QC
Web Links and Legislation
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is an independent statutory officer appointed by the Governor in Council and must be a person of no less than eight years standing as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
The DPP conducts proceedings on behalf of the State of Victoria (also known as the Crown) in the County Court, Supreme Court and High Court in relation to serious crimes committed in Victoria.
The DPP also conducts committal proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court and assists the coroner in inquests. In addition, the DPP has the power to appeal against sentences in certain circumstances.
In deciding whether or not to prosecute, the DPP follows nationally agreed guidelines. In performing his functions, the DPP must also have regard to considerations of justice and fairness and the need to conduct prosecutions in an effective, economic and efficient manner. The DPP must also ensure that appropriate consideration is given to the concerns of the victims of crime.
Current Director
Jeremy Rapke QC was appointed Victoria’s Director of Public Prosecutions in November 2007, having been the Chief Crown Prosecutor since 2005 and a Senior Crown Prosecutor since 1995.
Mr Rapke has practised law for 35 years and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1999. Before his appointment as DPP, he was a Vice-President of the Australian Association of Crown Prosecutors and a member of the Sentencing Advisory Council. He is currently a member of the Therapeutic Treatment Board.
History of the DPP
In 1983, Victoria became the first jurisdiction in Australia to establish a Director of Public
Prosecutions, following the enactment of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1982 by the Cain government.
Victoria’s first DPP, John Harber Phillips QC (later Chief Justice of Victoria), took up his appointment in February 1983. He was followed over the next 24 years by John Coldrey QC (1984-1991), Bernard Bongiorno QC (1991-1994), Geoff Flatman QC (1995-2001) and Paul Coghlan QC (2001-2007), all of whom went on to become judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria.