Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Attorney-General to what extent the Director of Public Prosecutions conducts police prosecutions in Northern Ireland; and when he expects all police prosecutions to be conducted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Director has undertaken responsibility for all prosecutions tried on indictment.
Article 5(1)(c) of the Prosecution of Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 enables him to initiate, undertake and carry on proceedings for such summary offences or classes of summary offences as he considers should be dealt with by him. These are specified in directions issued by the Director to the Chief Constable and are set out in an RUC Force Order which was issued by the Chief Constable. In broad terms they include all summary offences which the Director considers to be of a serious nature or where the offence involves special public interest questions including offences of a political or sectarian kind.
It is not intended that the Director shall at any time assume conduct of all police prosecutions, and in this regard I would draw the hon. Member's attention to paragraph 13 of the Report of the Working Party on Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland (CMD 554).