The following is a brief guide to the Criminal Justice System and explains what happens when:
- a crime is reported
- a file goes to the DPP
- the DPP decides to prosecute or not to prosecute
- a case goes to court
If you are a victim or a witness, we hope you will find this section of our site useful and that it will help you to understand how the justice system operates.
A document explaining in greater detail how the Prosecution System in Ireland works is also available here.