This year, 75% of matters were resolved early, either finalised in the Local Court or committed for sentence to a higher court. 

The ODPP has achieved an average clearance rate of 108% over the past five years for District Court trials.

This year, 89% of matters in the District and Supreme Courts resolved in a finding of guilt, either by a plea of guilty or verdict of guilty. This is consistent with conviction rates for the previous five years.

Over the last five years, the ODPP has achieved an average clearance rate of 98% for Local Court committal matters.

Nine Super Call Overs were conducted this year, saving a total of 847 days of District Court sitting time. 

Super Call Overs commenced in 2015 as a District Court initiative to facilitate appropriate pleas of guilty being entered before the first day of trial. The venues for the call overs are determined by reviewing the number of trials and the delay in obtaining a trial date at venues across the State. Identified trials that appear to have some prospect of negotiation are listed before a designated District Court Judge, usually over the course of a week. A Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and appointed Public Defenders review the matters, take instructions and engage in discussions to either resolve matters or attempt to narrow issues where possible. The ODPP, when entering such discussions, complies with its obligations by consulting and seeking the views of both police and victims.

The benefits of the call overs are that matters are resolved earlier, resources are saved and trial dates freed up in the court diary to list other matters that will proceed to trial, thereby shortening delays and contributing to the reduction in the backlog of trials. Resources that would have been expended on trial preparation by both the prosecution and the defence can be redirected to other matters. Early pleas facilitate a better use of judicial and other resources including those of court registries, the NSW Police Force and Corrective Services. Victims and witnesses are spared the stress of preparing for and giving evidence at a trial. The accused also benefits from an early resolution of matters. Savings in other costs associated with the conduct of trials include payment of jurors and witness expenses.

The core business of the ODPP was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in a number of significant ways: scheduled trials and hearings were adjourned; circuit courts were cancelled; all jurisdictions issued new Practice Notes to facilitate remote appearance by solicitors and witnesses; and ODPP staff who did not need to be in the office were directed to work from home. A dedicated intranet page was maintained as a central point for all COVID-19 related issues, including health advice and court listing practices. An ODPP COVID-19 Internal Policies document was created and regularly updated to enable staff to stay informed about the measures in force and a Vaccination Policy was developed.

The ODPP remains committed to the principles of the Equitable Briefing Policy developed by the Law Council of Australia, which this Office adopted in 2016. Efforts continue to be made to ensure that the ODPP contributes to the aim of briefing women in at least 30% of all matters. This year, 36 of the 63 private barristers the ODPP briefed were women, being a total of 57% – an increase from 46% in the previous financial year.

Twelve new Crown Prosecutors were appointed during the year; seven (58%) of these were promotions from within the Solicitor's Office.

During the year, 28 Solicitor Advocates were appointed, with 27 (96%) being promotions from within the Solicitor's Office.

The Director’s Service Excellence Awards provide an annual opportunity for the Director to publicly recognise and celebrate the efforts and commitment of individuals, teams and managers in striving for excellence in professional service and performance across the ODPP.

Excellence Awards are presented in the following categories:

• Individual – overall general excellence
• Regional – a regional staff member who displays excellence across the unique challenges the regions face
• Legal Support – a legal support officer who displays excellence
• Engagement - a staff member who increases office morale, promotes a supportive workplace, engages the office and/or promotes wellbeing initiatives
• Mentoring and Development – a staff member who dedicates time to sharing their knowledge and developing others (whether that be through mentoring, local training or DPPdia content or other actions)
• Service to Victims – a staff member who demonstrates substantial service to the community and commitment to victims
• Innovation – a staff member who demonstrates a commitment to innovation through their involvement in process and/or system improvement and enhancement
• Management/Leadership
• Teamwork/Collaboration.  

The ODPP is proud of the 47 staff recognised for their long service to the Office:

• 27 staff received a 10 Year Service Award
• six staff received a 20 Year Service Award
• 14 staff received a 30 Year Service Award.

To commemorate National Reconciliation Week, the ODPP launched its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Internship program, providing opportunities and employment pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law students.

The ODPP acknowledges the value that staff from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds bring to our work through their skills, experiences and perspectives. In order to promote and support Culturally and Linguistically Diverse staff and address barriers to their success, a strategy for 2022-2024 was developed and launched. The strategy will help identify opportunities for staff and ensure that the ODPP reflects the diverse community it represents.

This year the ODPP launched an Inclusive Language Guide to provide staff with a better understanding of common terms and explain how to use language respectfully and inclusively when working with and referring to people of diverse genders and sexualities.