1,169 views
The judge of guarantees is a magistrate responsible for monitoring the criminal investigation phase and guaranteeing the fundamental rights of the person under investigation, separating the functions of investigation and judgment. The main objective of the judge of guarantees is to ensure impartiality and independence in decisions during the proceedings, avoiding possible influences from the prosecution, in relation to the judge who will judge the case, and from the judge who monitors the investigation, in relation to the judge responsible for the trial. The judge of guarantees is, in Angola, one of the novelties of the new Code of Criminal Procedure and the Organic Law on the Organization and Functioning of Courts of Common Jurisdiction. Among the various functions, he is responsible for the application of personal coercive measures, in particular preventive detention, until now the responsibility of the magistrate of the Public Prosecutor's Office, in the preparatory investigation phase of the cases. The creation of the judge of guarantees is seen as an important measure to strengthen the criminal justice system, balancing the power between the prosecution and the defense and guaranteeing the effectiveness of the individual rights of the persons under investigation.