(1) There shall be a Director of Public Prosecutions whose office shall be a public office.
(2) The Director of Public Prosecutions shall have power in any case in which he or she considers it desirable so to do—
(a) to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law (other than a court-martial) in respect of any offence alleged to have been committed by that person;
(b) to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that have been instituted or undertaken by any other person or authority; and
© to discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by himself or herself or any other person or authority.
(3) The powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions under subsection (2) may be exercised by him or her in person or through other persons acting under and in accordance with his or her general or special instructions.
(4) The powers conferred on the Director of Public Prosecutions by subsections (2)(b) and (2)(c) shall be vested in him or her to the exclusion of any other person or authority:
Provided that where any other person or authority has instituted criminal proceedings, nothing in this subsection shall prevent the withdrawal of those proceedings by or at the instance of that person or authority and with the leave of the court.
(5) For the purposes of this section any appeal from a judgment in criminal proceedings before any court or any case stated or question of law reserved for the purpose of any such proceedings, to any other court (including Her Majesty in Council) shall be deemed to be part of those proceedings:
Provided that the power conferred on the Director of Public Prosecutions by subsection (2)© shall not be exercised in relation to any appeal by a person convicted in any criminal proceedings or to any case stated or question of law reserved at the instance of such a person.
(6) In the exercise of the powers vested in him or her by subsection (2) and section 46, the Director of Public Prosecutions shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.