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Prosecutors, Informants, and the Integrity of the Criminal Justice System

NCJ Number
152606
Journal
Current Issues in Criminal Justice Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (July 1992) Pages: 47-63
Author(s)
P N Grabosky
Date Published
1992
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The role of informants in Australia is examined with respect to the legal and ethical issues involved in the use and management of informants in criminal investigations and as witnesses for the prosecution, safeguards needed to minimize the likelihood of informants, and the proper role of the prosecutor in managing informants.
Abstract
The analysis concludes that informants should be used only as a last resort and that, whenever possible, their use should be limited to facilitating investigations. In addition, they should be used only to investigate the most serious offenses and should not be used in circumstances that involve a risk of significant harm to third parties. Finally, directors of public prosecutions have a crucial role in ensuring that the use of informants remains both legal and ethical. Footnotes

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