4 The Participants

In this part of the book we want to take a closer look at the different participants in criminal procedure. Understanding the role of the participants and the interplay between these entities is an important prerequisite for understanding criminal procedure. In modern criminal procedure, which follows an accusatorial principle, one needs to differentiate between first, the Prosecutor—that is, the entity which brings the charges—and secondly, the Court—that is, the body which will hear the evidence and decide the matter. Thirdly, the accused aided by defence...