Work of the Division

The work of the Division is mainly conducted by Public Prosecutors in the following four sub-divisions, each headed by a Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions:

• Sub-division I (Advisory): Counsel in this sub-division are responsible for advising law enforcement agencies on the important question of whether or not to prosecute and preparing cases for trial;
• Sub-division II (Advocacy): Counsel in this sub-division are experienced advocates who prosecute sensitive and high-profile criminal trials at all levels of court, to assist coroners in the holding of death inquests and occasionally to conduct criminal appeals. Sometimes, new Public Prosecutors who first join the Division are temporarily posted to this sub-division to receive training in advocacy;
• Sub-division III (Appeals): Counsel in this sub-division are responsible for advising on and conducting appellate matters in court, including applications for judicial review and cases involving Basic Law and human rights issues in the criminal context; and
• Sub-division IV (Commercial Crime): Counsel in this sub-division are responsible for advising on, and the prosecution of, complex commercial fraud, corruption, money laundering, securities offences, revenue fraud and cases investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Customs and Excise Department.

The Deputy Director who takes up the role of the Chief of Staff also oversees the work of:

• the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which is responsible for all administrative, management, training, media relations, complaints and feedback matters and policy development of the Division; and
• the Proceeds of Crime Section, which handles applications for restraint orders and confiscation orders.