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public prosecutor

public prosecutor

2 4.1
A government official who brings criminal charges in court for the state
  • noun
  • /ˈpʌblɪk ˈprɒsɪkjuːtə/
  • UK
translation icon : fiscal público
  • Seeking increased court exposure, he then spent two years working as a public prosecutor before returning to private practice.

Examples

  • That's more than enough for the public prosecutor to start an official inquiry.

  • I expected the worst when I saw that Emil Hahn was the public prosecutor.

  • Could you tell me who the public prosecutor was?

  • The first surprise you would meet is the absence of any public prosecutor or state's attorney.

  • The pre-trial assessment section is divided into eight units that work in close collaboration with the office of the public prosecutor.

    Academic text (2018)
  • I've spoken to the public prosecutor, and he gives me his assurance on that.

  • In both cases, the "accused" is confronted with the intricacies of the criminal law or with the expert advocacy of the public prosecutor.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The public prosecutor was to use the report to determine whether the physician's action was appropriate (Meek 1999).

    Academic text (2000)
  • The chief public prosecutor now began to indict women who had taken the Polish opportunity to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The public prosecutor presented compelling evidence during the trial to secure a conviction.

Synonyms

prosecutor
vspublic prosecutor
789 4.6

A lawyer who represents the government and brings charges against someone accused of a crime

is the government official who prosecutes criminal cases for the state
prosecution
vspublic prosecutor
  • Specialized
397 5.1

Lawyers who present the state's case against someone accused of a crime in court

is the individual government official who brings and manages a criminal case
district attorney
vspublic prosecutor
  • Formal
153 4.2

A lawyer who brings criminal charges for the government in a local area

is the government official who prosecutes criminal cases for the state
state's attorney
vspublic prosecutor
  • Formal
28 6.8

A government lawyer who brings criminal charges for the state

is the government official who prosecutes criminal cases for the state
state attorney
vspublic prosecutor
  • Specialized
24 5.5

A lawyer who brings criminal cases in court for the state government

is the government official who prosecutes criminal cases for the state
prosecuting attorney
vspublic prosecutor
  • Specialized
10 5.9

A government lawyer who tries to prove someone committed a crime in court

is the government official who prosecutes criminal cases for the state
prosecuting officer
vspublic prosecutor
  • Specialized
6.0

A government lawyer who tries to prove someone committed a crime in court

is the government official who prosecutes criminal cases for the state
ad prosequendum
vspublic prosecutor
  • Formal
9.9

A person a court chooses to sue for someone who cannot act for themselves

is the regular state official who prosecutes criminal cases for the public

How Senior

chief justice
35 6.3
Attorney General
  • Formal
248 6.8
public prosecutor
  • UK
2 4.1
prosecutor
789 4.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

public + prosecutor

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'prosecutor' (a government lawyer who brings cases) with the modifier 'public' (on behalf of the public/state): together they denote the prosecutor acting for the state. This noun-modifier composition is regular in English and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Public prosecutor comes from the clear picture of one person in court speaking for everyone: public means the people or the state and prosecutor is the person who 'brings charges'. So a public prosecutor is the government official who acts 'for the public' to 'bring charges' in criminal cases.