Ordinance on the Organization of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the District Attorney's Offices (VOSTA) (VOSTA)

6 The Office of the Senior Public Prosecutor consists of

a. the management of the Office of the Senior Public Prosecutor,

b. two Senior Public Prosecutors (female or male),

c. the Staff Services,

d. the Communication and Media Services,

e. the Office for Official Assignments,

f. the Legal Services,

g. the legal and commercial secretariat,

h. the Business Control.

Organization

The Government Council may dismiss the Chief Public Prosecutors and Chief Public Prosecutors and appoint them as Senior Public Prosecutors or as Special Public Prosecutors with special tasks at the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

6.1 Leadership of the Public Prosecutor General's Office

1. The leadership of the Public Prosecutor General's Office is incumbent upon the Public Prosecutor General.

2. The leadership is responsible for the fulfillment of the assignments and tasks of the Public Prosecutor General's Office.

6 1 The Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor plans, conducts and directs adult criminal prosecutions in the Canton.

2 Within the framework of the Consolidated Development and Financial Plan, it defines the objectives, resources and measures for this purpose and reviews the achieved impact.

3 It assigns public prosecutors and other personnel to the public prosecutor's offices and determines their place of work.

4 It ensures the coordination of the authorities involved in criminal prosecution in the Canton, as well as with other cantonal and federal authorities, and ensures uniform application of the law.

5 It issues general and case-specific directives concerning pre-trial proceedings for the public prosecutor's offices and the police, and concerning main proceedings and appeal proceedings for the public prosecutor's offices.

6 In proceedings of particular public interest, it informs the Department of Justice and Home Affairs about essential procedural steps and media contacts.

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213.21 Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor/Public Prosecutor's Offices, Organisation (VOSTA)

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, in preparation for the strategic decisions of the Government Council, performs the following tasks in particular

a.4 Participation in the submission of proposals by the Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs in the sense of § 115 para. 2 GOG2,

b. Participation in the submission of proposals by the Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs concerning the legislative priorities, insofar as they relate to criminal prosecution.

§§ 6 and 7.7

prosecutors to assist in the performance of individual tasks or to delegate these tasks to them.

Section 2: Public Prosecutor's Offices

A. Competencies

6 1 To handle cases that do not fall within the jurisdiction of the Cantonal

Prosecution Offices, there are five Regional Prosecution Offices with

jurisdiction in the following districts

a. Prosecution Office Zurich-Limmat, with its seat in Zurich, for urban

districts 1 (Rathaus and Hochschulen quarters), 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11,

12, and Lake Zurich,

b. Prosecution Office Zurich-Sihl, with its seat in Zurich, for urban

districts 1 (Lindenhof and City quarters), 2, 3, 4, and 9,

c. Prosecution Office Winterthur/Unterland, with its seat in Winterthur,

for the districts of Andelfingen, Bülach, Dielsdorf, and Winterthur,

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Chief Public Prosecutor's Office/Prosecution Offices, Organization (VOSTA) 213.21

d. Prosecution Office See/Oberland, with its seat in Uster, for the

districts of Hinwil, Meilen, Pfäffikon, and Uster,

e. Prosecution Office Limmattal/Albis, with its seat in Dietikon, for the

districts of Affoltern, Dietikon, and Horgen.

2 If public prosecutors are assigned to another district, they act for that

district.

6 1 For the handling of specific cases, there are three Public Prosecutor's Offices responsible for the entire cantonal territory

a. Public Prosecutor's Office I for serious violent crime,

b. Public Prosecutor's Office II for serious organized crime, cybercrime, and Special Investigations,

c. Public Prosecutor's Office III for qualified economic crime and international legal assistance.

2 The official seat of the Cantonal Public Prosecutor's Offices is Zurich.

Cantonal Public Prosecutor's Offices

3 The Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs may establish branch offices.

B. Organization

Each public prosecutor's office is headed by a Chief Public Prosecutor.

1 The public prosecutor's offices are divided into divisions. Divisions

2 Each division is headed by a public prosecutor.

3 Each division comprises several public prosecutors. It may also include civilian or police administrative staff, deputy public prosecutors, legally and non-legally trained assistant public prosecutors, and trainee lawyers.6

6. Central Services

1. The central services of a public prosecutor's office include the secretariat, business control, accounting, and the archives.

2. The central services are directly subordinate to the management of the public prosecutor's office.

3. The Senior Public Prosecutor's Office may

a. merge the central services of various public prosecutor's offices,

b. issue general directives to the central services,

c. approve the decentralized management of central services for public prosecutor's offices with branch offices.

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213.21 Senior Public Prosecutor's Office/Public Prosecutor's Offices, Organization (VOSTA)

§§ 14-19.7

§§ 20 and 21.5

§§ 22-26.7

3rd Section: Final and Transitional Provisions

Appointments

6 1 The Government Council appoints

a. the Chief Public Prosecutor,

b. the Senior Public Prosecutors,

c. the extraordinary Senior Public Prosecutors,

d. the Chief Prosecutors,

e. the extraordinary Prosecutors.

2 The Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs appoints the Chief of Staff. From among the Public Prosecutors, it appoints

a. the Head of the Office for Official Mandates,

b. the Deputy Chief Prosecutors,

c. the Heads of Division,

d. the Public Prosecutors with special functions.

3 Before submitting proposals pursuant to para. 1 lit. b–e and before making decisions pursuant to para. 2, the Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs shall consult the Public Prosecutor's Office.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issues the instructions necessary for the implementation of this Ordinance.

Implementing Regulation

Entry into force

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1. This Ordinance comes into force on 1 January 2005.

2. The Department of Justice and Home Affairs may make appointments

in accordance with § 27 para. 2 even before the entry into force of the

Ordinance. However, these appointments shall only take effect from 1 January 2005.

4.

Chief Public Prosecutor's Office/Public Prosecutor's Offices, Organization (VOSTA) 213.21

zember 1990 and the Ordinance on District Attorney's Offices of

June 15, 1994, are repealed as of the date of entry into force.

1 OS 59, 331.

2 LS 211.1.

3 Inserted by Resolution of the Government Council of November 3, 2010 (OS 65, 770; ABI 2010, 2429).

In force since January 1, 2011.

4 Version according to Resolution of the Government Council of November 3, 2010 (OS 65, 770; ABI 2010, 2429). In

force since January 1, 2011.

5 Repealed by Resolution of the Government Council of November 3, 2010 (OS 65, 770; AB12010, 2429).

In force since January 1, 2011.

6 Version according to Resolution of the Government Council of January 15, 2020 (OS 75, 104; ABI 2020-01-31). In

force since April 1, 2020.

7 Repealed by Resolution of the Government Council of January 15, 2020 (OS 75, 104; ABI 2020-01-31).

In force since April 1, 2020.

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