At a seminar in the Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, issues of the quality of state prosecution were discussed

A training workshop for prosecutors and prosecution staff of the Vitebsk region was held at the Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office via video conferencing.

On the agenda: "Improving the quality of state prosecution and the effectiveness of supervision over the legality of court decisions in criminal cases."

During the seminar, prosecutors discussed in detail the existing errors and shortcomings in state prosecution, and the requirements for appellate protests.

For reference: in 9 months of 2020, prosecution staff of the Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office supported state prosecution in the first instance court in 2,765 criminal cases and filed over 200 appellate protests.

Problematic issues of law enforcement practice under Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and issues of qualifying continuing and prolonged crimes were discussed using examples.

The new method of examining evidence in court – olfactory expertise – aroused genuine interest among the seminar participants.

For reference: this type of expertise has been carried out by experts in the Russian Federation for over thirty years. Currently, olfactory expertise has been conducted in the courts of the Republic of Belarus in two criminal cases of past crimes, which is one of the key pieces of evidence.

Also, within the framework of the training event, prosecutors' attention was focused on the specifics of media coverage of the results of criminal case trials.

After the discussion, a practical session was held – solving specialized tasks on the correct application of the provisions of the General Part of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

During the seminar, prosecution staff actively asked questions, expressed their points of view, and shared their work experience.

Such events help to minimize errors and improve the activities of the supervisory authority in supporting state prosecution in local courts.

Information Service
Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office