Introduction
Prosecution service management, covering case review, charging decisions and trial advocacy, is a 1-week course for prosecutors, prosecution office leaders and legal advisers to investigative agencies, ending with a Prosecution Case Strategy and Office Caseload Plan for a case file. Prosecution offices lose credibility when charges rest on weak evidence, exculpatory material surfaces late, advocates arrive at trial unprepared and ageing files pile up without oversight. Nominees already decide or supervise criminal files and work through case studies built on anonymised charge files, trial bundles and office caseload data. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this prosecution service management course.
Course Objectives
- Apply the UN Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors to impartial, objective and independent decisions on criminal files
- Review a case file against the evidential stage and the public interest stage and record a reasoned charging decision
- Advise and direct investigators on evidence gaps, legality of evidence and alternatives to prosecution such as diversion
- Manage disclosure of material that undermines the prosecution case or affects witness credibility throughout the proceedings
- Prepare and present a prosecution case at trial, including opening statements, examination of witnesses and closing submissions
- Organise office caseloads, performance indicators and outgoing mutual legal assistance requests into a prosecution caseload plan
Target Audience
- Prosecutors responsible for reviewing criminal files and taking charging decisions
- Prosecution office leaders who allocate files, supervise prosecutors and report office performance
- Legal advisers who guide investigative agencies on evidence and charge readiness
- Case review and quality assurance units that audit prosecution decisions
- International cooperation desks that prepare and execute mutual legal assistance requests
Course Outline
Day 1: Prosecutorial Role, Independence and Office Baseline
- UN Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors Core Duties Review
- IAP Professional Conduct Standards for Impartiality and Objectivity
- Prosecutorial Independence Models and Executive Relationship Comparison
- Prosecution Office Structure and File Allocation Responsibility Map
- Office Baseline Audit of Charging Quality and File Age
Day 2: Charging Standards, Case Review and Prosecutorial Discretion
- Evidential Stage Test of Realistic Prospect of Conviction
- Public Interest Stage Factors For and Against Prosecution
- Threshold Test Use for Urgent Remand and Custody Cases
- Charge Selection Matrix for Offence Choice and Count Numbers
- Diversion and Conditional Discontinuance Options Under Written Discretion Rules
Day 3: Directing Investigations, Disclosure and Trial Advocacy
- Pre-Charge Advice Note Identifying Evidence Gaps for Investigators
- Exclusion Review for Evidence Obtained Through Serious Abuse
- Exculpatory Material Review and Continuing Disclosure Duty Register
- Prosecution Opening Statement and Theory of the Case Drafting
- Examination-in-Chief and Cross-Examination Question Planning for Witnesses
Day 4: Caseload Performance, Integrity Risks and Judicial Cooperation
- Prosecution Caseload Indicators for Attrition, Timeliness and Conviction Outcomes
- Weighted Caseload Model for Prosecutor Workload Balancing
- Prosecutor Conflict of Interest and Improper Interference Register
- Mutual Legal Assistance Request Drafting and Dual Criminality Checks
- Incoming Letters Rogatory Execution Tracker and Liaison Contacts
Day 5: Case Study on a Prosecution Case Strategy and Office Caseload Plan
- Case File Briefing and Two-Stage Charging Decision Record
- Case Disclosure Register and Pre-Charge Advice Note Preparation
- Mock Trial Witness Examination with Peer Advocacy Feedback
- Case Office Caseload Dashboard and Workload Reallocation Scenario
- Prosecution Case Strategy and Office Caseload Plan Completion
Skills You Will Gain
- Charging Decision Analysis
- Public Interest Assessment
- Pre-Charge Investigative Advice
- Disclosure Management
- Witness Examination
- Prosecution Caseload Analytics
- Mutual Legal Assistance Drafting
- Prosecutorial Ethics Judgement
Why Attend This Course
- Present a Prosecution Case Strategy and Office Caseload Plan for a case file to the chief prosecutor or head of the prosecution unit
- Decide whether a file meets the evidential and public interest stages, needs further investigation or suits diversion
- Avoid collapsed trials, late disclosure findings and ageing files that damage public confidence in the prosecution service
- Equip colleagues with the charging decision record, disclosure register and caseload dashboard used during the course
Conclusion
Back at work, the participant hands the chief prosecutor or head of the prosecution unit a Prosecution Case Strategy and Office Caseload Plan covering the charging decision record, disclosure register, trial preparation notes and a workload allocation model. Office leaders use it to set charging review standards, rebalance files between prosecutors and agree advice routes with investigative agencies. After the first quarter, the unit should compare attrition, file age, disclosure issues raised at trial and cooperation request turnaround with the baseline and refine the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What should participants know before a prosecution service management course?
Participants should already review, decide or supervise criminal files, or advise investigators on evidence. Bringing an anonymised charge file, a recent trial bundle or office caseload figures lets them apply the case studies directly to their own prosecution unit.
How does prosecution service management differ from a criminal investigation or court administration course?
It works from the prosecutor's desk: charging decisions, disclosure, trial advocacy and prosecution caseloads. Investigation courses train investigators to gather evidence and interview, and court administration courses manage court registries and hearing lists, which this course meets only where files pass between agencies.
Why does prosecution service management apply a two-stage charging test?
A two-stage test separates whether the evidence gives a realistic prospect of conviction from whether prosecution serves the public interest. Recording both stages makes decisions consistent, reviewable and defensible, and stops weak or unnecessary cases from reaching court.
What do participants take back from the prosecution service management course?
Participants take back a Prosecution Case Strategy and Office Caseload Plan for a case file, with a two-stage charging decision record, disclosure register, witness examination plan, caseload dashboard and mutual legal assistance request template ready to adapt.
