A proofing meeting can go anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes.

Meeting ODPP staff

The proofing will give you a chance to meet with different ODPP staff who will be involved in your matter.

This can include solicitors, prosecutors, the SAPOL Investigating Officer and witness assistance officers.

You will have a chance to ask any questions you have.

You will also be provided with some general information about:

  • what each person does
  • the role of the ODPP
  • the criminal justice system
  • prosecution process
  • giving evidence at trial.

Remember, your matter may involve several different lawyers as the case progresses through the legal system – it is normal to have different prosecutors throughout a case.

Checking your statement

In the meeting, the prosecutor might ask you questions about the information provided in your witness statement.

They will want to check everything is true, correct and there are no errors or omissions, as well as clarifying anything that is unclear.

You may be asked to read over your statement (or have the statement read out to you) to make sure it is correct.

Younger witness or victims might be asked to watch the video of their original interview.

If you provide any additional information during the proofing meeting, you may need to make another statement to the Investigating Officer from SAPOL.

Support during the meeting

You can have a support person come with you for most of the proofing meeting.

They will be asked to leave when the prosecutor speaks with you about the details of the allegations – this is for legal reasons and to make sure that person is not called as a witness during a trial.

If you have a Witness Assistance Officer allocated to you, they will support you throughout the meeting.

Related information

More questions

If you have more questions about the proofing meeting, you can contact:

  • the Investigating Officer from SAPOL
  • the ODPP Prosecutor
  • Witness Assistance Office (if one has been allocated to you)

If you can’t remember the names of the ODPP staff assigned to your matter, you can contact ODPP Reception who can help.