In civil law systems, which entity can initiate investigations and interview witnesses actively?

• A. The judge.
• B. The public prosecutor.
• C. The defendant.
• D. The plaintiff.

Answer: (A)

In civil law systems, the court takes an active, fact-finding role. The judge has the authority to initiate investigations, order evidence gathering, and question witnesses directly as part of uncovering the facts. This inquisitorial approach means the inquiry is steered by the judge rather than left entirely to the parties. The plaintiff and defendant present their arguments and evidence, but they don’t typically drive the core investigations or compel witness interviews. The public prosecutor’s role is generally linked to criminal cases, not civil ones, so they don’t usually initiate civil investigations. So, the entity that can actively initiate investigations and interview witnesses is the judge.