In Samoa, a single office to handle prosecutions in court is to be established by the end of the year.
Court House Mulinuu Photo: RNZI Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
Currently prosecutions at the District Court are handled by Police while the Attorney General's Office is responsible for prosecutions in the Supreme Court.
The new entity will be called the National Prosecution Office, staffed by prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office and from the Police and headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Attorney General's Office says the National Prosecution Office will ensure the independence and transparency of prosecution decisions and procedure.
Legislation needed to establish the prosecution office is to be tabled in Parliament in the near future.
