The Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) is an independent prosecuting service established by the Parliament of Australia to prosecute alleged offences against Commonwealth law, and to deprive offenders of the proceeds and benefits of criminal activity. It aims to provide an effective national criminal prosecution service to the Australian community.
The CDPP’s vision is for a fair, safe and just society where the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia are respected and maintained and there is public confidence in the justice system. The CDPP’s purpose is to provide an ethical, high quality and independent prosecution service for Australia in accordance with the Prosecution Policy of the Commonwealth.
The CDPP prosecutes a wide range of alleged criminal offences, such as offences relating to the importation of serious drugs, frauds on the Commonwealth including tax and social security fraud, commercial prosecutions, people smuggling, people trafficking (including sexual servitude and sexual slavery), terrorism, and a range of regulatory offences. The CDPP’s prosecution practice is as wide as the reach of Commonwealth law. State and Territory Directors of Public Prosecutions are responsible for the prosecution of alleged offences against State and Territory laws.