This Criminal Prosecutions Department is responsible for the criminal prosecution of all cases in the superior courts and in some instances, handles the prosecution of serious criminal cases in the Magistrates’ and Children’s Courts. The Department is also responsible for providing legal advice and opinions to the police and all other institutions and agencies conferred with prosecutorial powers. Section 85 of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia provides that the DPP can initiate criminal proceedings, take over criminal proceedings or discontinue it, with the approval of the Attorney General. This power of the DPP is reiterated in section 64 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which also empowers the DPP to enter nolle-prosequi. It is clear from the mandate of the Department that the success of the criminal justice system in The Gambia hinges on its efficiency and effectiveness. The Department is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions who is assisted by a deputy and a team of lawyers, consisting of Principal State Counsel, Senior State Counsel, State Counsel, Pupil State Counsel and Legal clerks. The Criminal Prosecutions Department has a dedicated unit dealing with Sexual and Gender Based Violence. The SGBV unit was established in November 2018. The main objective of establishing this specialised unit is to ensure that the prosecution of cases relating to SGBV are accorded due priority.