Failing to prosecute? Assessing the state of the National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa

This monograph analyses the independence, accountability and performance of the NPA.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is pivotal in the criminal justice system and to the proper functioning of South Africa’s democracy. This monograph analyses the independence, accountability and performance of the NPA, in relation to the NPA’s core function of prosecution. The monograph finds that the tendency to decline to prosecute is the central malaise affecting the NPA, and that this is neither a function of a lack of resources nor of an overburdening of the prosecution service. The monograph identifies reasons for the declining trend and proposes various corrective measures.

Author: Jean Redpath