Formation of the Belarusian transport prosecutor's office bodies

The Prosecutor's Office bodies began specializing in supervision over observance of laws on transport in 1922. The Statute of the prosecutor's supervision adopted by the third session of the Central Executive Committee of the Byelorussian SSR contained requirements for the military and general prosecutor's offices when putting into practice laws on railway and air transport. Criminal cases of crimes in this field were investigated by special investigators and prosecutor's supervision over such cases was effected by special prosecutors designated by the Prosecutor's Office of the BSSR. Till June 20, 1936, i.e. until the People's Commissariat of Justice of the USSR was formed, the territorial prosecutors had carried out the prosecutor's supervision functions of supervising laws on transport. And during the Great Patriotic War and after its end up to 1948 supervision over legality on transport was performed by the military prosecutor's offices of the Belarusian and Brest-Litovsk railways. In May 1948 the military prosecutor's offices of the Belarusian and Brest-Litovsk railways were transformed to the prosecutor's offices of the Belarusian and Brest-Litovsk railways. The prosecutor's office of the Belarusian railway was situated in the city of Gomel and the prosecutor's office of the Brest-Litovsk railway was situated in the town of Baranovichi. 

By the Order of the Prosecutor General of the USSR dated September 15, 1951 the prosecutor's office of the Brest-Litovsk railway was given the name of the prosecutor's office of the Minsk railway situated in the city of Minsk. It had 4 subdivisions: prosecutor's offices of Minsk, Baranovichi, Brest, Grodno branches. 

In accordance with the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated May 14, 1953 № 1263 "On unification of the prosecutor's offices of the railways" the prosecutor's office of the Minsk railway was united with the prosecutor's office of the Belarusian railway into the prosecutor's office of the Belarusian railway situated in the city of Minsk. 

Pursuant to the Order of the Prosecutor General of the USSR the prosecutor's office of the Belarusian railway was named the Transport prosecutor's office of the Belarusian railway. It consisted of 7 branches situated in Baranovichi, Brest, Grodno, Mogilev, Gomel, Zhlobin. 

In 1955 by the Order of the Prosecutor General of the USSR the prosecutor's office of Grodno branch was abolished, the Transport prosecutor's office of the Belarusian railway was renamed to the Belarusian transport prosecutor's office and the prosecutor's office of Vitebsk branch of the Kalinin railway became a part of it. 

The functions of the above prosecutor's office consisted in effecting general supervision over the strict correspondence of the acts issued by the Department of the Belarusian railway to law and over the exact execution of laws by the officials and civilians in the field of railway transport functioning. 

The Transport prosecutor's office did not have subdivisions and was under the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor's Office of the USSR. 

In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated 03.03.1960 "On abolishment of the transport prosecutor's offices" by the Order of the Prosecutor General of the USSR dated 10.03.1960 № 22 the Belarusian transport prosecutor's office was abolished. Its functions were assigned to the Prosecutor's Office of the BSSR. 

But such reorganization resulted in reducing discipline on transport and increasing criminality. As a consequence of continuous analysis of the situation the Prosecutor General of the USSR issued on 03.09.1976 Order № 480- л "On organization of the transport prosecutor's offices". At the cost of the reserve of the Prosecutor's Office of the USSR, transport prosecutor's offices were organized in Brest, Baranovichi, Vitebsk, Gomel, Minsk and Mogilev having a total staff of 36 persons and later on transport prosecutor's offices were established in Grodno and Orsha. In practice the prosecutor's supervision on transport revealed the necessity of a centralized control over the above subdivisions. By the Order of the Prosecutor General of the USSR dated 05.11.1980 the Belarusian transport prosecutor's office was established again with almost the same functions as it has today. 

First Belarusian transport prosecutor was a participant in the Great Patriotic War, a former gun layer of the famous "45 caliber" gun, then a battery commander who in 1945 ended the War in Kenigsberg, Yuvenaly Alexeevich Kladukhin. More than ten years Drobyshevsky Leonid Efimovich held the post of Belarusian transport prosecutor. 

Special attention of the transport prosecutor's office employees was drawn to study of the causes of crime increasing especially among the minors, over legality when examining the citizens' petitions and reports and supervision over investigation of the cases regarding violations of the traffic security rules. 

During the perestroika economic reforms began in the republic. Laws on public enterprise, cooperation, individual labor activity, rent ant rent relationship were adopted. Over next years when the Republic of Belarus became an independent State, decisive measures aimed at strengthening the State authority were taken, the Constitution of the republic was amended and the presidential form of government was established, the Belarusian transport prosecutor's office has been taking effective measures directed at supervising observance of laws by all the enterprises, institutions, organizations and public officials of the Belarusian railway, the State Committee of aviation of the Republic of Belarus, the Water transport department of the Ministry of transport and communications of the Republic of Belarus as well as enterprises and organizations of different kinds of property created at the transport enterprises. 

The transport prosecutor's office activities were aimed at combating crime, corruption, observing the State discipline and ensuring public security, eliminating violations in the economic sphere, preventing acts of terrorism on transport, securing train traffic and aircraft flying, protecting citizens' health and life. 

The transport prosecutor's office takes considerable measures in order not only to suppress the committed crimes but to prevent unlawful acts on transport thus promoting safe-keeping and efficient use of the public property. 

One should also emphasize the work of veterans who founded the traditions and till the present time maintain them. Being guided by their knowledge and experience, today's young officers of the Belarusian transport prosecutor's office try their best to introduce new forms and methods in their work using scientific, technical and information facilities, increasing efficiency of the prosecutor's supervision.

With the aim of improving the system of prosecution bodies of the Republic of Belarus and streamlining their activities in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 463 of 1 October, 2014 “On the liquidation of the Belarusian Transport Prosecutor's Office”, the Belarusian Transport Prosecutor's Office was liquidated from 1 December, 2014.

Its functions have been transferred to the Prosecutor General’s Office and the prosecutor's offices of regions. The specialized transport prosecutor's offices, which are subordinate to the Belarusian Transport Prosecutor's Office, have been reassigned to the prosecutor's offices of regions. 

By virtue of Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 200 of 31 May, 2017, the Baranavichy and Orsha transport prosecutor's offices were liquidated from 1 July, 2017.