The Prosecutors' Office will officially launch next month with a staff size of approximately 1,800, which is 80-85% of the current staffing level.
The Ministry of Justice announced on September 22 that the Cabinet has approved amendments to the structure of the Prosecutors' Office and its affiliated agencies, as well as the staffing regulations, which were proposed from September 4 to 9.
The key aspect of this amendment is a significant reduction in both prosecutor and general staff numbers. The number of prosecutors will begin operating at 80-85% of the designated staffing level of 2,292 as per the current staffing law. Given the difficulty of immediately changing the designated number through legal amendments, the plan is to maintain the staff at around 1,800 by not filling vacancies resulting from special appointments in the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, judicial support, and resignations.
Following the launch of the Prosecutors' Office, the Ministry of Justice plans to conduct an objective analysis and organizational assessment by external agencies to determine the appropriate number of prosecutors, after which it will submit a proposal to the National Assembly for a revision of the staffing law.
The reduction in general and investigative staff will be even more substantial. The existing investigative officers, now classified under criminal justice roles, will see a reduction of 2,048 from the current 2,986, which is 68.6%. Additionally, 477 general staff will be cut, bringing the total reduction in general staff to 2,525, approximately 30% of the total workforce.
As a result, the remaining investigative staff will transition to support roles for prosecutors, focusing on decisions regarding whether to prosecute cases and reviewing non-prosecution cases.
The organizational structure has also been significantly reduced compared to the initial proposal, with three deputy prosecutor positions and eight departments being eliminated. Furthermore, the transfer of forensic and investigative functions to the Ministry of Justice is also being pursued.
Department names have been revised to better reflect their intended purposes. The previously controversial 'Judicial Control Department' will be renamed the 'Non-Prosecution Review Department,' which will review the legality and appropriateness of cases not prosecuted by the police to prevent them from being buried. The 'Major Crimes Unit' will be renamed the 'Major Crimes Prosecution Department' to clarify its role in handling prosecutions for cases investigated and referred by the Major Crimes Investigation Agency.
Alongside the staff reductions, the trial function will be significantly strengthened. The Ministry of Justice plans to reassign existing prosecutors from criminal divisions to trial divisions, transitioning from a structure where one trial prosecutor handled two court divisions to a 'one prosecutor per court division' system. This change reflects the increasing importance of thorough fact-finding and maintaining prosecutions in the trial phase, in line with the separation of investigation and prosecution and the emphasis on a trial-centered approach.
A Ministry of Justice official stated, "Even after the launch of the Prosecutors' Office, we will continue to listen to diverse opinions from the field and various sectors, constantly reviewing and improving the system from the perspective of the public. We will strive to establish the Prosecutors' Office as a prosecutorial agency for the people within the new criminal justice system."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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