Public Prosecution

Summary

The Public Prosecution (formerly Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, established Royal Decree No. M/56, 29 May 1989; renamed and linked directly to the King by Royal Decree of 17 June 2017) holds explicit statutory authority under Article 3(f) of its law to supervise and inspect all prisons, detention centers, and places of criminal-sentence execution. Prosecutors may visit at any time, access files, hear complaints, verify lawfulness of detention, and order the release of unlawfully held persons. Its officials made nearly 50,000 inspection visits to detention facilities in 2021. The Attorney General updated procedural guidelines for prison supervision in August 2021. The PP can refer criminal matters involving corrections personnel to prosecution, giving it effectively binding authority over unlawful detention. It is not a civilian body — all members are career prosecutors — and it does not function as an independent LE oversight body for police misconduct outside the prison context.