Resident Senior State Attorney - Mukono

In conformity with the constitutional requirement that all criminal cases be handled and disposed off expeditiously, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions has established D.P.P. stations country-wide manned by Resident State Attorneys, State Prosecutors and Support staff.

The roles and functions of a D.P.P. up-country station are a microcosm of those of the centre as they reflect to a large measure the core vision, values and ethos of the main institutions.

The Directorate is a creature of article 120 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, which sets out its major functions as being; these have been ably recapitulated elsewhere in this publication.

The functions of the D.P.P. cannot be performed by a single individual, hence clause 4 of article 120 which provides that such functions (save for paragraph (d) of clause (3) relating to discontinuation of proceedings) may be exercised by officers authorized by him or her in accordance with specific or general instructions.

Such officers include State Attorneys and State Prosecutors. State Attorneys have a right of audience before all Magistrates' courts and Courts of Judicature. State Prosecutors on the other hand have a right of audience in the Magistrates' courts.

The central role of every D.P.P. up-country station is the effective institution and criminal proceedings within its geographical area of jurisdiction on behalf of the State.

At every station, where the Resident State Attorney is in-charge, he or she exercises both managerial and supervisory functions over the rest of the staff in the station.

• Offering professional legal guidance to professional colleagues.
• Perusal and allocation of Police files.
• Preparation/drafting of legal documents e.g. committal papers, notices and memoranda of appeal, affidavits etc.
• Prosecution of cases including capital offences, appeals and miscellaneous criminal applications before the High court.
• Offering legal guidance/advice to police in their conduct of criminal investigations.
• Ascertainment of which files to be submitted to headquarters for further management etc.

At the level of management, an R.S.A. is in charge of his/her station and as such answerable to headquarters. Subject to budgetary and logistical constraints, an R.S.A is enjoined to cater to the welfare needs of his staff members and forward to headquarters those beyond his ability to handle.

At a Resident State Prosecutor up-country station with 2 or more state prosecutors, the Resident State Prosecutor exercises managerial and supervisory roles akin to those of a Resident State Attorney alluded to hereinabove.

In conclusion, it can be surmised that the roles and functions of a D.P.P. up-country station largely mirror those of the mother institution which are ably captured in the spirit of the organization mission statement of effective handling and prosecution of criminal cases in order to reduce crime in the country