During the period 29th September through October 2nd 2024, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Angela Brooks , represented the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution at the 29th annual International Association of Prosecutions Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan where 80 countries participated in this year’s conference. The International Association of Prosecutors, (IAP), is the largest association of Prosecutors globally.
The conference program was designed to engage and inspire the Prosecutors’ work from a practical perspective, while also addressing the technical aspects of the current challenges Prosecutors face. Under the theme, “The Role of the Prosecutor in upholding the Rule of law”, this year’s sessions discussed approaches to balancing the pillars of an independent criminal justice system, the role of victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system and the challenges Prosecutors face in upholding the rule of law in this digital age.
It was against this backdrop that the conference explored how Prosecutors can best ensure that there is procedural equality between the prosecution and defence and considered the role that prosecution authorities play as one of the main pillars of an independent criminal justice system. The conference also considered the ways in which victims and witnesses can be served by the criminal justice system to ensure that they are able to give their best evidence, both through specific initiatives and greater collaboration between the criminal justice stakeholders.
Dr. Brooks was one of the esteemed Chair Persons for the conference, who chaired the sessions, “Transparency and public confidence in the criminal justice system.” This workshop considered prosecutorial engagement with the media and civil society, the use of metrics to demonstrate prosecution standards and the role of the media as a safeguard against potential abuses.
