“My profession does not consist of defending the interests of the State, but of defending the principle of justice”, Borjabad began. He went on to tell the students that the work of the Public Prosecutor for Minors covers two main areas: protection and reform.

Borjabad explained that this “protective” function applies to both civil and criminal cases. In terms of civil jurisdiction, he is involved in separation and divorce proceedings where minors are involved, and in terms of criminal jurisdiction, he is responsible, among other things, for deciding whether to take legal action of any kind when the victim of the crime is underage. Additionally, he must also ensure that underage witnesses are given protection.

Borjabad said that his activities in the area of reform include helping “underage offenders forget the reasons that led them to break the law”. He explained that when cases involving minors are brought to court, it is the public prosecutor who takes direct charge of proceedings, albeit under the constant supervision of a judge who will issue any search warrants or other instruments that may be required.

The main objective of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is to guarantee the protection of minors. “All efforts should be directed towards reintegrating underage offenders”, Borjabad emphasized. To reintegrate young offenders into society, a technical team made up of educators and psychologists must prepare a psycho-social report on each minor that provides information on his/her background and proposes a solution for reintegration.

The lecture was held within the framework of the continuous education conference cycle organized throughout the school year by the Faculty of Law.