Who monitors the Public Prosecution Service?
The courts review the conduct of the Public Prosecution Service and the police. The Public Prosecution Service informs the Minister of Justice and Security, who bears political responsibility for the Service’s conduct and performance, and may be called upon to render account to both houses of the Dutch parliament.
The board of Prosecutors General is concerned with general policy on investigation and prosecution. The minister has the legal power to intervene in an individual case, by issuing a directive to the Public Prosecution Service. If the minister orders the prosecution service to prosecute a particular case, it has to be in writing so the court will be informed of the directive. If the minister orders the prosecution service to abstain from prosecuting a case, parliament will always be informed. Until now no minister ever issued such a directive.
The Prosecutor General at the Supreme Court supervises the quality of the Public Prosecution Service’s work on criminal procedure.