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provides a new statutory power for the DPP to discontinue a prosecution, replacing the common law nolle prosequi power. This new power to discontinue a prosecution vests only in the DPP and not the Attorney General (who will retain the common law nolle prosequi power). The DPP may discontinue a prosecution for an offence against an accused by announcing the discontinuance in court or filing a signed notice in court. The DPP can discontinue a prosecution at any time, whether or not an indictment has been filed, except during trial (when a trial for a charge is completed by a verdict being given by a jury or a jury being discharged from giving a verdict on the indictment.) Accordingly, the DPP may, for instance, discontinue a proceeding after a trial has commenced if the jury is discharged from giving a verdict, or if the Court of Appeal orders a new trial. If an indictment has not been filed against the accused, the written notice referred to in subclause (1) must be filed in the court to which the accused has been committed for trial. If the discontinuance is announced in court, the DPP must file a signed notice of the discontinuance as soon as practicable after the announcement. The DPP must serve a copy of a notice of discontinuance on the accused or, if the accused is dead, on the legal practitioner who last represented the accused or on the next of kin of the accused. Subclauses (6) and (7) confirm that a discontinuance does not amount to an acquittal and that an accused can be charged again with an offence in respect of which an earlier prosecution has been discontinued.