The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Lithuania is an independent state institution operating within the judicial system to organize and direct pre-trial investigations, uphold public prosecutions in court, and defend the public interest. Its historical origins trace back to 1919 when the first Prosecutor General of independent Lithuania was appointed during the interwar republic. Following the restoration of Lithuanian sovereignty, the modern institution was established on March 23, 1990, to replace the former Soviet prosecutorial apparatus.