In Canada, a special prosecutor is a lawyer appointed in certain circumstances to ensure the fairness of prosecution.
In British Columbia, appointments of special prosecutors are governed by Section 7 "Special prosecutors" of the Crown Counsel Act, Chapter 87. The Assistant Deputy Attorney General may appoint a lawyer not employed by the Ministry of Attorney General as a special prosecutor, if he or she "considers it is in the public interest".[1]
In military prosecutions in Canadian Armed Forces, Special Prosecutors are appointed in the circumstances of an actual or perceived conflict of interest during the prosecution. A Special Prosecutor is an officer of the Forces who is a member of the bar of a province in good standing and who is not a member of the Legal Branch of the Forces. [2]