Prosecution Services

The Prosecution Services of Mount Vema (PSMV) is an institution of the Crown of the State. The legal entity that under the Director of Public Prosecutions, conducts criminal prosecutions in the Kingdom of Mount Vema. The PSMV provides legal advice to the Mount Vema Police during the course of criminal investigations, to decide whether a suspect should face criminal charges following an investigation, and to conduct prosecutions.
The operations of the PSMV are supervised by the Secretary of State who answers for the PSMV in Congress.

Organization

The PSMV primarily prepare cases for internal and external advocates and liaise with police and third parties. It hires the services of approved and specialist external advocates (solicitors and barristers) with experience in common law.  

The Structure:
  • The PSMV Crown Advocates present cases in lower and higher courts.
  • The PSMV Crown Prosecutors provide advice to investigators, make charging decisions and present prosecution cases in lower and higher courts.
  • Associate Prosecutors represent the PSMV in cases with guilty pleas in the courts
  • Paralegals/casework assistants provide clerical support and help with progressing cases.
 
The PSMV works to continuously improve the prosecution of counter-terrorism, and special crime, which includes deaths at sea and in custody, corruption, and manslaughter. As well as Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Crime - This includes former proceeds of crime, and fraud.
 
Inspection
The Royal Mount Vema House of Law is responsible for inspecting the work of the PSMV.
 
Roles and responsibilities

Pre-charge advice

The PSMV has no power to order investigations or direct investigators to take action. Whether the PSMV is asked for advice or a charging decision is entirely at the discretion of investigators. However, the PSMV may provide confidential advice to investigators on the viability of a prosecution in complex or unusual cases. This includes clarifying the intent needed to commit an offence or addressing shortcomings in the available evidence.
  
Charging decisions

The Prosecution Services of Mount Vema (PSMV) is responsible for charging suspects with felonies such as murder or rape, and all other criminal offences that lay beyond the prosecutorial authority of the police. The Mount Vema Police and other law enforcement agencies can charge suspects with misdemeanours such as common assault or criminal damage, with a low value but cannot charge suspects with felonies without authorization from the PSMV (except in certain emergency situations).

 The conditions that must be met before any charge, are available in the Mount Vema Legal System.