Public Ministry of Venezuela

This article has been translated from the article Ministerio Público de Venezuela in the Spanish Wikipedia, and requires proofreading. If you are confident enough in your fluency of English and Spanish, please proofread it. (August 2022)

The Public Ministry of Venezuela is an organ belonging to Citizen Power, it has autonomous and independent character. It is under the direction of the Attorney General of the Republic who is elected by the National Assembly for a period of seven years.

Article 285 of the Constitution of Venezuela states that the Attorney General has the following function:^[1]

• Contribute to the establishment of criteria of the criminal politics or criminal prosecution within the State, in light of the guiding principles of modern criminal law.
• Exercise criminal action on behalf of the State.
• Guarantee respect for constitutional rights and guarantees in judicial processes.
• Ensure the speed and smooth running of the administration of justice, the prior trial and due process.
• Guarantee the treaties, conventions and international agreements signed by the Republic in criminal matters.
• Carry out the actions that may be necessary to enforce the responsibility incurred by public officials.
• Order and direct the criminal investigation of the perpetration of punishable acts.
• Protect victims and witnesses of punishable acts.
• Represent the interests of the society through the exercise of the faculties of direction of the investigation of the facts that have the characteristics of crime.