Prosecution in Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia

The primary duty of the prosecutor is to seek justice as well as to convict those who are guilty

Prosecutors are primarily responsible for preparing charges and arraigning accused persons before competent courts or tribunals for trial. The primary duty of the prosecutor ‘is to seek justice as well as to convict those who are guilty’. In an ideal sense, he or she ‘focuses the power of the state on those who disobey the law by charging a person with crime, releasing the individual from prosecution, or eventually bring[ing] the accused to trial’. 

Thus, a prosecutor investigates violations of the law in cooperation with the police; determines appropriate charges for criminal infractions and presents evidence before judges to enable them to determine the culpability of accused persons.  Prosecutors are expected to ‘protect the innocent by revealing any shred of evidence that would exculpate an accused person, as well as persevere in the prosecution of those persons who are factually and legally guilty of a crime’. 

Overall, prosecutors exercise enormous influence within the criminal justice system because their power to initiate, sustain or discontinue charges has serious implications for the liberty of crime suspects.

About the author

Etannibi E O Alemika obtained his BSc Sociology (Ibadan) and PhD Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a professor of criminology and sociology of law and Director at the Centre for Research and Development, University of Jos, Nigeria.