NCJ Number
104054
Date Published
1986
Length
343 pages
Annotation
This text presents summaries of discussion held during a 1986 seminar on the use of nonprosecution in Europe, together with documentation and other materials generated by the seminar.
Abstract
Discussions clearly showed that the prosecutor has become a central figure in the administration of justice and that nonprosecution has developed into an important institution in many European legal systems. Much discussion centered on the sharp distinction between legality and expediency and the need for internal and external controls on the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. Additional documentation includes discussions of nonprosecution, legality and expediency, prosecutorial discretion, and trends in the scope of nonprosecution. Guidelines for waiver of prosecution also are provided. National reports on nonprosecution in 27 countries describe the role of the prosecutor in the criminal justice system, the normative basis for waiver, the alternatives available to the prosecutor, the availability of statistics and other empirical data on prosecutorial activities, and a bibliography on the prosecutorial role. List of seminar participants.