Prosecution Training

Overview

The training will be delivered by Kyle Fournillier, a barrister at Westgate Chambers. He has a great deal of local authority experience, particularly  in civil litigation and criminal prosecutions.

Legal Services is aware that prosecutions can place officers under immense pressure in relation to their workload. This can be alleviated by officers understanding what legal services requires to conduct a prosecution from an early stage, and officers having the knowledge and confidence to obtain evidence lawfully, and produce witness statements with ease.

This course will enable you to

• Understand the role of the investigating officer and their duties
• Understand the role of the Prosecutor and their duties
• Learn what is required in File Preparation – what does the investigating officer need to prepare the file for prosecution?
• Find out what disclosure duties the Council has under the Criminal Procedure Act 1996: what the duty is; how the duty is discharged; how does the disclosure process work; and what is required by the disclosure officer?
• Learn how to write a witness statement: how to write a statement and structure the statement; what should be included; and what is not relevant or should not be included.

Who is the Course aimed at

ADC Officers/Staff who are involved in instigating or preparing for a prosecution.

If this is part of your role, you are strongly encouraged to attend this training. It is vital that the Council makes any decision to prosecute carefully. Any prosecution that does proceed is subject to scrutiny by the court which is in the public domain. For this reason, the Council needs to be certain that all legislation, procedures and processes have been adhered to throughout the investigation stage.

Even if you have a very good understanding of some of the topics listed above, it can be helpful to refresh your knowledge. It is also a good opportunity to meet Kyle, the trainer/Barrister, who has already been instructed to attend trials for the Housing Department and the Planning Department.