Associate Prosecutors

Associate prosecutors are paralegal staff who attend the magistrates' courts and are empowered to take on the lawyers' role of presenting minor cases.

They deal with most summary-only cases and straightforward either way offences that are likely not to be given more than six months custody as a sentence.  Typical cases include motoring offences, shoplifting, common assault, drunk and disorderly and carrying an offensive weapon in a public place.  They can also request restraining and exclusion orders, as well as costs and compensation for victims.

Paralegal officers who want to become associate prosecutors have to pass a testing training course, validated by an external body, and be formally designated by the Director of Public Prosecutions before they undertake this work.