The public prosecution's role in criminal proceedings under the rule of law: legal situation in Germany with comparative law remarks on UK and USA

Abstract

"Analyzing the role of Germany as a law-exporting nation the essay deals with a very specific aspect of the Rule of Lawprinciple in criminal proceedings. The author describes the division of functions among police, public prosecution and criminal courts within criminal law enforcement in Germany adding some comparative law remarks. He furthermore provides an overview of structure and organization of the public prosecution in Germany. He focuses on the relationship and interaction between public prosecution and police in preliminary proceedings emphazising the importance of both being allocated in different ministries of the executive branch. Thus he points out yet another aspect of the constitutional principle of the Rule of Law: the role of public prosecution as guardian of the law towards the police in criminal proceedings." (author's abstract)