Director of Public Prosecutions

What Director of Public Prosecutions does

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is a statutory authority established in 1991 under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1991, delivering independent criminal prosecution services on behalf of the State of South Australia. Headquartered in Adelaide CBD at Level 12, GPO Exchange, the ODPP operates across Magistrates, District, Supreme and Youth Courts, and conducts appeals in the Full Court of the Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. The Director (currently Martin Hinton KC, appointed 2019) is appointed by the Governor for a seven-year term, providing statutory independence from political influence.

The ODPP comprises 200+ staff organised into specialised teams: a Trial Counsel Section of prosecutors running trials in higher courts; Solicitor Teams handling charge determinations and pre-trial work; and dedicated units for Vulnerable Witnesses, Domestic/Family/Sexual Violence, Commercial Crime and Confiscations, Serious and Complex Crime (including the dedicated Operation Ironside team covering 40+ trials), and regional Circuit work in Mount Gambier and Port Augusta. Supporting services include the 11.7 FTE Witness Assistance Team providing trauma-informed victim/witness support, the Court Canine Companion Program (Zeb the Labrador, in partnership with Guide Dogs SA/NT), and student clerkship/PLT programs. Technology assets include a Prosecution Case Management System, Electronic Exhibit Presentation System, and the Courts Administration Authority's Electronic Court Management System (ECMS) integration, alongside an internal Data Analytics Dashboard and exploratory work on case outcome predictor models with the Office for Data Analytics.

The ODPP is funded through Government of South Australia appropriations administered via the Attorney-General's Department, with supplementary extraordinary-matters funding (Operation Ironside through FY2026) and pass-through Criminal Assets Confiscation receipts (~$8.1M in 2023-24) directed to the Victims of Crime and Justice Rehabilitation funds. In 2023-24 it resolved 2,214 prosecution files with a 75.67% overall conviction rate (86.49% by plea, 13.51% by verdict) and 100 matters briefed to the private bar at a cost of A$651,089. The ODPP does not charge for services and currently operates a 24-project Change Program targeting workload, wellbeing and process reform following the 2023 Workplace Experience Review.

Name

Director of Public Prosecutions

Legal name

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

Website

https://dpp.sa.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is a South Australian statutory authority providing independent criminal prosecution services across Magistrates, District, Supreme and appellate courts, serving victims, witnesses and the justice system with 200+ staff including specialised teams for vulnerable witnesses, commercial crime, and extraordinary matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Prosecution Services

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (922130), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services (BPAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ)

Keywords

• Criminal prosecution services
• Government legal services
• Witness assistance services
• Criminal assets confiscation
• Public prosecution authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a statutory authority, the ODPP receives operational funding from the South Australian Government through the Attorney-General's Department. Funding is provided for ordinary operations as well as extraordinary matters (such as Operation Ironside activities funded until end of 2026 financial year).
2. Criminal Assets Confiscation Revenue: Revenue generated through the Criminal Assets Confiscations Act 2005 function. In 2023-24, $3,692,708.20 in Non Prescribed Drug Offender Confiscation Revenue was deposited to Victims of Crime Fund and $4,441,275.75 in Prescribed Drug Offender Confiscation revenue to Justice Rehabilitation Fund.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is a statutory authority that provides independent criminal prosecution services for the State of South Australia. It prosecutes serious criminal offences in the Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts, manages appellate proceedings in higher courts, provides support services to victims and prosecution witnesses, and conducts criminal assets confiscation proceedings.

Product overview

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is a statutory authority that provides an independent and effective criminal prosecution service for South Australia. The organization operates as a unified prosecution service comprising specialized teams rather than a modular software platform. The core service includes Trial Counsel (prosecutors specializing in District and Supreme Court trials) and Solicitor Teams (lawyers preparing files for trial). Specialized teams include Vulnerable Witness Teams, Domestic Family Sexual Violence Team, Commercial Crime and Confiscations Team, Serious and Complex Crime Team, and Circuit Team. Supporting services include the Witness Assistance Team (providing trauma-informed support to victims and witnesses) and the Court Canine Companion Program (using therapy dogs to support vulnerable witnesses). The ODPP also offers student programs including Summer Clerkships and Practical Legal Training placements. Technology initiatives include data analytics dashboards for workload management and preparation for the Courts Administration Authority's Electronic Court Management System.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Criminal Prosecution Services Independent prosecution of serious criminal offences in the Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts of South Australia, conducted on behalf of the Crown. Services are provided to victims, witnesses, and the community of South Australia.
• Witness Assistance Service Dedicated support service for victims of crime and prosecution witnesses, providing information about court processes, court preparation, liaison with prosecutors, and referrals to other support agencies throughout the prosecution process.
• Criminal Assets Confiscation Proceedings Statutory function of pursuing confiscation of proceeds of crime and unexplained wealth under the Criminal Assets Confiscation Act, conducted by the Commercial Crime and Confiscations team on behalf of the State.
• Appellate Advocacy Services Independent representation of the Crown in criminal appeals, including bail applications, in the Supreme Court of South Australia, Full Court of the Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeal, and High Court of Australia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75.67% average conviction rate in 2023-24
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guide Dogs SA/NTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Court Canine Companion Program, utilizing Zeb the golden Labrador to provide support to children and vulnerable adults involved in ODPP criminal matters. Zeb attended 41 witness/victim sessions and assisted in courts CCTV waiting room on 14 occasions during 2022-23. The program helps calm vulnerable victims, lower anxiety and supports building rapport.
• Courts Administration Authority (CAA)coreTechnology or IntegrationImplementation of Electronic Courts Management System (ECMS) enabling online services for court users. Parties can obtain case information via online portal including hearing dates and court outcomes, lodge documents, and receive notifications. ODPP underwent familiarisation and training prior to go-live date.
• Independent BarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBarristers from the Independent Bar are engaged as needed to supplement ODPP's internal team of experienced prosecutors. In 2023-24, 100 matters were briefed to private bar at a cost of $651,088.58.
• Attorney-General's DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ODPP operates under the administrative umbrella of the Attorney-General's Department. The Attorney-General (Hon Kyam Maher MLC) is responsible for administration of justice. ODPP receives funding through this department and works collaboratively on criminal justice sector reforms.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria (OPP): Victoria's independent statutory prosecution office. Closest functional peer to the SA ODPP, handling serious criminal matters in the Magistrates', County, and Supreme Courts of Victoria with comparable witness assistance and specialised teams.
• Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP): Federal Australian prosecution agency responsible for criminal prosecutions under Commonwealth law. Direct peer to the SA ODPP, sharing statutory independence, court-based delivery model, and public service structure; differs in that it operates federally rather than within a single state.
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ACT): ACT's statutory DPP operating in the ACT courts. Direct peer to the SA ODPP, with comparable small-jurisdiction scale and prosecution mandate.
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Queensland): Queensland's independent statutory prosecution office providing criminal prosecution services in Queensland courts. Direct peer to the SA ODPP in mandate, structure, and statutory independence.
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW): NSW's independent statutory prosecution office. Direct peer to the SA ODPP, conducting indictable and appellate prosecutions in NSW courts with similar internal counsel structure and victim support services.
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Northern Territory): Northern Territory's statutory DPP prosecuting serious criminal matters in the NT courts. Direct peer to the SA ODPP, sharing small-jurisdiction scale and regional circuit-court requirements.
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Western Australia): Western Australia's independent statutory DPP. Direct peer to the SA ODPP, providing prosecution services in WA courts with analogous indictable case management and appellate functions.
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Tasmania): Tasmania's independent statutory DPP. Direct peer to the SA ODPP, sharing single-state jurisdiction, statutory independence, and small-jurisdiction scale.

Others

• Crown Law (Western Australia): WA's government legal services agency providing civil and advisory legal services to government. Adjacent peer performing public-sector legal functions but focuses on civil rather than criminal prosecution work.

Regional players

• Crown Prosecution Service (CPS): UK's national prosecution authority responsible for criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. Comparable in statutory independence and core prosecution mandate, but operates at much greater scale and in a different legal jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/director-of-public-prosecutions

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Director of Public Prosecutions