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BNSS, 2023
Start Practicing
BNSSChapter IISection 20
Section20

Directorate of Prosecution

AI Assist

Summary

State governments may set up a State Directorate and district Directorates of Prosecution staffed by a Director, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors. Appointments require experience: Director/Deputy need 15 years as an advocate or having been a Sessions Judge; Assistant Director needs seven years as an advocate or experience as a first‑class Magistrate. The Director works under the Home Department and the offices supervise prosecutors and monitor cases by seriousness (death or life or 10+ years; 7 to under 10 years; under 7 years).

Example

Priya has practised as an advocate for eight years and the State appoints her Assistant Director of Prosecution. She will monitor cases punishable with less than seven years and work under a Deputy Director and the Director, who in turn answer to the Home Department.

Bare Act

Enacted text

(1) The State Government may establish,-

  • (a) a Directorate of Prosecution in the State consisting of a Director of Prosecution and as many Deputy Directors of Prosecution as it thinks fit; and

  • (b) a District Directorate of Prosecution in every district consisting of as many Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of Prosecution, as it thinks fit.

(2) A person shall be eligible to be appointed,-

  • (a) as a Director of Prosecution or a Deputy Director of Prosecution, if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than fifteen years or is or has been a Sessions Judge;

  • (b) as an Assistant Director of Prosecution, if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than seven years or has been a Magistrate of the first class.

(3) The Directorate of Prosecution shall be headed by the Director of Prosecution, who shall function under the administrative control of the Home Department in the State.

(4) Every Deputy Director of Prosecution or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution; and every Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution.

(5) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section (1) or sub-section (8) of section 18 to conduct cases in the High Court shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution.

(6) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section (3) or sub-section (8) of section 18 to conduct cases in District Courts and every Assistant Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section (1) of section 19 shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution or the Assistant Director of Prosecution.

(7) The powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for ten years or more, or with life imprisonment, or with death; to expedite the proceedings and to give opinion on filing of appeals.

(8) The powers and functions of the Deputy Director of Prosecution shall be to examine and scrutinise police report and monitor the cases in which offences are punishable for seven years or more, but less than ten years, for ensuring their expeditious disposal.

(9) The functions of the Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for less than seven years.

(10) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (7), (8) and (9), the Director, Deputy Director or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall have the power to deal with and be responsible for all proceedings under this Sanhita.

(11) The other powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution, Deputy Directors of Prosecution and Assistant Directors of Prosecution and the areas for which each of the Deputy Directors of Prosecution or Assistant Directors of Prosecution have been appointed shall be such as the State Government may, by notification, specify.

(12) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the Advocate General for the State while performing the functions of a Public Prosecutor.

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II

Chapter II

Constitution of Criminal Courts and Offices

In this chapter

  • 6Classes of Criminal Courts
  • 7Territorial divisions
  • 8Court of Session
  • 9Courts of Judicial Magistrates
  • 10Chief Judicial Magistrate and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, etc
  • 11Special Judicial Magistrates
  • 12Local Jurisdiction of Judicial Magistrates
  • 13Subordination of Judicial Magistrates
  • 14Executive Magistrates
  • 15Special Executive Magistrates
  • 16Local Jurisdiction of Executive Magistrates
  • 17Subordination of Executive Magistrates
  • 18Public Prosecutors
  • 19Assistant Public Prosecutors
  • 20Directorate of Prosecution
Previous · Section 19Assistant Public ProsecutorsNext · Section 21Courts by which offences are triable