procureur

Procureur is a term used in several French-speaking jurisdictions to denote a public prosecutor or a legal representative acting on behalf of the state in criminal matters. The exact duties and level of independence vary by country and legal tradition. In some contexts, procureur also serves as a general term for a lawyer or attorney before a court.

In France, the procureur de la République (public prosecutor) is a magistrate within the Ministère public (the public prosecution service). The procureur supervises criminal investigations, can request inquiries, and decides whether to bring charges or pursue alternatives to prosecution. In court, the procureur represents the state and the application of the law, aiming to ensure legality and public order. Although part of the judiciary, the office operates under a centralized state framework.

In Belgium, the title exists as procureur du Roi (French-speaking) or procureur des Konings (Dutch-speaking). The procureur heads the public prosecutor’s office in a judicial district, directs investigations in cooperation with the police, and brings cases to court. They exercise significant prosecutorial discretion and act as the state’s attorney in criminal proceedings, under the authority of the justice system.

In Canada, particularly in Quebec, the term appears in the form of procureur général du Québec (Attorney General of Quebec), responsible for the government’s legal affairs, public prosecutions, and justice policy. The broader use of procureur in francophone legal language can also refer to a lawyer appearing before a court or representing a client, depending on context.

Historically, the title procureur du roi was used in certain jurisdictions to denote royal prosecutors. Across French-speaking systems, procureur thus denotes both public prosecutors and legal representatives who act on behalf of the state or government in legal proceedings.