Our role

We prosecute serious criminal offences in Queensland

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Todd Fuller KC, is an independent statutory officer appointed under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1984 (Qld). The Director leads the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and represents the State in prosecuting serious criminal cases in the:

• District Court
• Supreme Court (Trial Division)
• Supreme Court (Court of Appeal)
• Childrens Court
• Mental Health Court
• High Court of Australia

We may also prosecute some serious criminal offences in the Magistrates Courts in Brisbane, Ipswich and Southport. The Queensland Police Service’s Prosecutions Corps may also prosecute some serious criminal offences in the Magistrates Court.

Each day, our team prepares cases, presents evidence in court and advocates for fair and appropriate penalties. We work closely with law enforcement agencies to gather and assess evidence, build strong, lawful cases, protect community safety and uphold the rule of law. Our work includes:

• prosecuting serious criminal offences
• providing information to victims and witnesses
• applying to restrain and confiscate proceeds of crime under the Criminal Proceeds Confiscation Act 2002 (Qld)
• bringing breaches of certain court orders before the courts
• providing legal advice to other government agencies
• oversee prosecution of indictable offences under Queensland law undertaken by other government agencies including the Work Health Safety Prosecutor, the Office of Fair Trading and the Crime and Corruption Commission
• contributing to law reform.

The ODPP has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) that enables us to prosecute  offences under Commonwealth legislation and to authorise the CDPP to prosecute offences under State legislation.

Supporting victims and witnesses

People affected by crime often want information about the justice system and their role in it. We help by providing clear information about the prosecution process, victims' rights and what to expect in court.

We understand that the term "victim" is important in how we support and speak with you. Before someone is found guilty in court, the term "complainant" is used when referring to a victim of crime who is giving evidence as a witness. This is because under the law every person is innocent until proven guilty.

Learn more about how we work with victims.

The decision to prosecute

The decision to prosecute is made by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Decisions are guided by the available evidence, the applicable law and whether a prosecution is in the public interest.

The community’s interest is that the guilty be brought to justice and that the innocent are not wrongly convicted.

The duty of a crown prosecutor is to act fairly and impartially, to assist the court to arrive at the truth.