ODPP – we’ve got some money, now to get the staff

On 6 July 2003, the NSW Attorney General announced an increase in funding to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) of $5.9 million.

Members have been congratulated on this significant victory in the Association's campaign for adequate funding and resourcing of the ODPP.

Statements by the DPP and senior representatives of his Office in the last few weeks, however, have cast serious doubt on the real effect of this increase to the ODPP's base budget. The expressed optimism of the Attorney General has not been matched by the ODPP.

In any case, we have yet to see any of the significant additional staff that the Treasury's recent decision is supposed to achieve.

Last week, your newly-elected PSA Departmental Committee (DC), comprised of delegates from offices throughout the State, met to review the issues. The DC resolved to maintain and strengthen our members' campaign.

As a result, all members are directed to:

1. Maintain the work limitations imposed by direction of the Association on 19 May, 2003;
2. Reduce Practice (case) limits to 20 in metropolitan offices and 15 in country offices;
3. Instruct, in a maximum of one Trial per week, excluding Circuits - this to apply to lawyers of all levels at all fixed courts with continuous sittings, including Gosford, Newcastle and Wollongong;
4. Refuse "split" short matters of any kind, whenever allocated;
5. Not to use the SUN financial system.

Members are asked to note that this is a direction of the Association which all members are obliged to follow. Members should remember that the success we have achieved to date is only as a result of members' strong united action led strongly by delegates on your Departmental Committee.

As before, members are asked to contact their local delegate, Andrew Dziedzic, Chairperson of the Departmental Committee, or Garry Harris, Industrial Officer, tel: 9220 0964, for advice if any difficulties are encountered in this respect.

Previous ODPP Bulletin, July 9