Education

How To Become Public Prosecutor In India

How to become Public Prosecutor in India


Things you will learn in this article;

  • Introduction

  • Who is a Public Prosecutor

  • How to become a Public Prosecutor

  • Criteria of Eligibility

  • Job Opportunities

  • Types of Public Prosecutor

  • Public Prosecutor

  • Additional Public Prosecutor

  • Special Public Prosecutors

  • Assistant Public Prosecutor

  • Skills required

  • Conclusion

Introduction:

The increasing attraction of young people towards a career in law is commendable. The scope of a career in law has a very wide range and among one the various fields of the law, the role of a government lawyer is very powerful and respectable. Government lawyers are also known as Public prosecutors are the state’s representatives. Being a Public Prosecutor is a very reputable legal profession, many law aspirants and advocates work their way toward becoming government lawyers. There are different factors and requirements for this position in the legal profession. Also, mainly the public prosecutor is concerned with criminal cases and litigation, but the skills and knowledge these prosecutors hold including their experience make them top legal experts and many firms and organizations also want to work with them. There is an entrance exam for becoming a public prosecutor, in order to crack this exam many advocates choose online law certification courses, as this helps to make them learn and prepare without causing any harm to their studies. 

Who is a Public Prosecutor:

A person that has been appointed either by the central government or the state government to represent the case on behalf of the state in criminal trials is known as a Public Prosecutor. The role of the public prosecutor is to protect the state against crimes that have not only affected an individual but have a very negative impact on society also. In simple words, they are considered the agents of the government and state who are appointed by them and work in the interest of the public and society. The works of public prosecutors start right after the case is filed and the chart sheet is made, they are expected to be impartial and help the court and bring justice to the victim and also set an example in front of society so that the crime will not be repeated again.

How to become a Public Prosecutor: 

All information concerning the government of a lawyer has been stated in Section 24 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The qualification criteria of the public prosecutor, their roles and responsibilities and the types of public prosecutors all are mentioned in section 24 of CrPC. The steps to the appointment of the public prosecutor are also mentioned in the CrPC. All law aspirants and advocates who wish/aim to become government lawyers must be aware that the journey is very long and there are many ups and downs in journey to becoming a public prosecutor. A public prosecutor is appointed by the state for every district according to their qualifications. The advocate who wants to be a public prosecutor must appear in the entrance examination set by UPSC. Many legal learning institutions provide online legal certification courses in India to help advocates qualify for such exams, also written exam is followed by an interview section in which the candidate has to pass based on their knowledge and skills, so this certification course also helps them enact new skills and polish the skills they already possess.

Criteria of Eligibility:

According to Section 24 of the Code of Criminal Procedure an advocate with experience of at least ten years can only apply for the position of Public Prosecutor, they must be a citizen of India, The candidate must have a degree of law with the essential knowledge of the law, the degree can either be graduate or post-graduate in the field of law and recognised by the Bar Council of India. In general, only a lawyer can be a public prosecutor and more precisely only an advocate can be a public prosecutor. Also, for applying for this position a candidate’s age must be between 35 to 45 years old. Most importantly, the candidate must appear in the exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) for the position of public prosecutor. After clearing the exam, they face an interview round and on the basis of both of these, the selection of a public prosecutor happens.   

Job Opportunities:

There are several job opportunities for the public prosecutor in both the public and private sectors as they are very skilled and hold a lot of experience and knowledge. In the government sector only there are a huge number of positions for prosecutors. There are various sectors that hire public prosecutors such as High Court, District Court, Supreme court, law firms, corporate sectors, business firms, etc. The lack of public prosecutors in India, and the high demand for the legal profession make it a highly paid profession with a number of career opportunities and also helps to grow an individual. A person with good litigation skills as well as being patient and observant then this field is for them. There are a number of job profiles for which a Public Prosecutor can apply such as Public Prosecutor, Chief Prosecutor, Additional Prosecutor, Assistant Public Prosecutor, and Director of Prosecution.

Types of Public Prosecutor:

There are different types of the public prosecutor which are appointed by different authorities in India, some of them are as follows;

Public Prosecutor: 

They are appointed by the central government after consultation with the high court of the state, and they are required to have at least 7 years of experience in court. Their jurisdiction is the High court. 

Additional Public Prosecutor: 

Additional public prosecutors are appointed by the central government after consultation with the high court of the state, and they are required to have at least 7 years of experience in court. Their jurisdiction is the High court. 

Special Public Prosecutors: 

They are hired by the state government or central government, and they must have experience of 10 years of practice. They are appointed specially for a particular case or class of cases.

Assistant Public Prosecutor:

 Assistant public prosecutors are appointed by the central government and their experience is specified by the government. They are appointed for a particular case or class of cases being trialled in the courts of the magistrate.

Skills required:

There are a number of skills that an advocate must possess in order to become a Public prosecutor, as a public prosecutor has a number of responsibilities and they must be skilled enough to handle them properly and help to deliver justice. Skills such as; Proficient communication skills, intellectual skills, excellent presentation skills, responsible, Ability to handle pressure, Perfect drifting and writing skills, attention to detail, litigation skills, problem-solving skills, rational approach, creativity and unique thinking, good proofreading skills, and many more. An advocate who aims to become a public prosecutor in India must enhance all these skills in order to increase their job opportunities.  

Conclusion:

A legal professional interested in investigation and likes to solve different cases and collect evidence then the post of public prosecutor is absolutely perfect for them. A profession which has the primary responsibility of conducting the pre-trial investigation in a civil or criminal case, supervising the implementation of penalties, and defending the rights, and interests of the person and state by following the established law. Many advocates despite being in a high position prepare for this profession of law due to the prestige it holds, due to this reason only many young and aspiring lawyers are also aiming to become public prosecutors. As experience is a major requirement for this position, one can’t stop their practice of court for the preparation for the exam conducted by UPSC, that’s why the candidates opt for the best online law certification courses for learning and preparing for their exam. Becoming a government lawyer and representing the state and protecting the state is a very huge responsibility that comes with the respect and honour of being a Public Prosecutor.