The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is appointed under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1973. The DPP has complete independence in decision-making but remains accountable to Parliament through the Attorney-General.
The independence of the DPP is extremely important as it guarantees that decisions to prosecute are made free of any external influences.
The present Director is Mr Tim Ellis SC. Mr Ellis has held the office since 18 October 1999. He is assisted by 29 legal practitioners, comprising 19 criminal prosecutors, five civil lawyers, one summary prosecutor and four lawyers specialising in child protection legal matters. He is further assisted by four witness assistance service (WAS) officers, nine specialist law clerks and eight administrative staff.
