Foreword

 The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) prosecutes the most serious criminal cases on behalf of the people of New South Wales.

It is a critical component of the justice system, sitting between the Police who investigate crimes and the courts who adjudicate cases and sentence the guilty. 

Its principal role is to assist the court to arrive at the truth and to do justice to the community and the accused according to law and the dictates of fairness.

The ODPP has the independence to make prosecutorial decisions without fear or favour, which is a cornerstone of our justice system.

This independence does not remove the need for it to manage public resources appropriately, to be accountable for its performance and deliver value for money. 

This audit examines how well the ODPP can demonstrate its efficiency.

This report highlights the importance of agencies collecting good information on their services and costs. Such information is needed so agencies can not only show how well they are using resources, but so they can systematically examine whether current approaches remain the best.

I hope this report assists the ODPP’s improvement efforts, and provides some insights useful to other public sector agencies facing the challenge of achieving and demonstrating value for money.

Peter Achterstraat

Auditor-General

March 2008