DPP seeks bigger budget amid workload strain

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) – the country’s largest prosecuting body in the Pacific outside Australia and New Zealand runs on just 50 prosecutors, with five positions still vacant.

This was revealed by Acting DPP Nancy Tikoisuva (pictured) yesterday at it’s first-ever media workshop at Novotel Suva, where she laid out the stark numbers behind the country’s court backlogs.

Suva alone carries 30 of those 50 prosecutors, while Nasinu – one of the busiest jurisdictions – has only two, despite having five magistrate court sittings daily. Navua has none.

“We can never have enough prosecutors,” Ms Tikoisuva said.

The numbers matter because of what they are up against.

Suva has seven High Court criminal judges and six magistrate courts.

Lautoka has three High Court criminal judges handling serious cases from across the entire Western Division – Ba, Rakiraki, Sigatoka and beyond.

On top of regular court sittings, prosecutors also rotate out monthly for circuit courts covering remote areas including Lau, Kadavu, Lomaiviti, Taveuni, Rotuma, and Rabi.

The ODPP’s current annual budget sits at $8.9 million.

Ms Tikoisuva said her five-year strategic plan targets $20 million by 2030 – funding she says is needed to take on more cases currently handled by Police prosecutors, who are trained but are not lawyers.

She said the office would continue pushing for a bigger allocation in the upcoming national budget.