Legal Division

Legal Division provides prosecution services, information management/access services, crime and intelligence legal services, and weapons licensing services for the Queensland Police Service.

Legal Division is led by an Executive Director, who is a qualified legal practitioner. The Executive Director is a member of the QPS Executive Leadership Team.

Legal Division consists of professional legal officers, staff members and police officers, and has members located throughout the state. Legal Division comprises the following work groups.  

Prosecution Services

Prosecution Services provides prosecutorial services in Queensland Magistrates and Children's Courts.

Prosecution Services is managed by a Superintendent and comprises 31 Police Prosecution Corps statewide

Prosecutors are either civilian prosecutors who are legally qualified and admitted lawyers, or sworn police officers who have completed the Prosecutors Training Course.

Prosecution Services Support Group

Prosecution Services Support Group provides support functions to Prosecution Services and consists of the following work units:

• Prosecutions Training Office
• Operational Legal Advice
• Prosecutions Innovation Program
• Specialist Courts and Diversion
• Youth Prosecution Support Unit
• DNA Retrospective Review Unit
• Right to Review – Prosecutions  

Crime and Intelligence Legal Services

Crime and Intelligence Legal Services provides specialist legal advice on criminal matters focusing on major and organised crime investigations and associated policy, procedure and legal risk management issues. Legal officers within the unit have specialist legal expertise to provide advice on covert investigations, investigations involving or undertaken in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and the use of non-conventional policing methods.

Right to Information and Privacy Services

Right to Information and Privacy Services (RTIPS) administers and coordinates the activities of the QPS in connection with Right to Information and Information Privacy legislation and exercises the delegated authority of the Commissioner in relation to QPS Right to Information functions. The unit is also responsible for administering the QPS Publication Scheme, Disclosure Log, Gifts and Benefits Register and Sponsorship Register. RTIPS also liaises with the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC), which oversees Right to Information and Information Privacy in Queensland.  

RTIPS includes the Subpoena Team which:

• is the authorised delegate to accept service of summonses and subpoenas and other formal notices to produce records on behalf of the Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service
• ensures that legal processes served on the Commissioner are complied with and records are produced to courts and tribunals within required timeframes
• processes requests for information under statutory record release schemes other than Right to Information (RTI) legislation;
• provides information to the public as well as legal practitioners who wish to obtain QPS documents for the purposes of court proceedings.

More information about Right to Information and Privacy Services is available here.  

Information Management Services

Information Management Services (IMS) partners with internal and external stakeholders to deliver evidence-based, consistent, and high-quality information management services that support public and individual safety.

Core responsibilities of IMS include:

• Releasing criminal history information and court briefs to internal and external clients in accordance with legislative requirements and delegated authority.
• Recording finalised court outcomes related to criminal and traffic matters.
• Performing Domestic and Family Violence data entry and data quality assurance within QPS systems.
• Managing the entry of and ongoing maintenance of warrant information.
• Analysing and maintaining the integrity of Injury and Fatal traffic crash data.
• Ensuring the accuracy and integrity of entity data within the Queensland Police Records and Information Management Exchange (QPRIME).
• Undertaking Queensland Health Police Liaison Unit activities.

Weapons Licensing Group

Weapons Licensing Group (WLG) administers the acquisition, possession, use and disposal of firearms and weapons in the interests of community safety in accordance with the Weapons Act 1990. WLG supports community safety by assessing the eligibility, suitability and ongoing suitability of individuals and businesses to hold weapons licenses, while enabling people with a genuine reason to lawfully possess and use firearms and weapons. WLG further supports community safety through licensing, compliance, education and enforcement activities for the safe and responsible possession and use of weapons.

More information about Weapons Licensing Group.