Llewellyn stays on despite looming lawsuit

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn, KC, is to remain in office for another two years.

An amendment this year to the Constitution changed the age of retirement for the post from 60 to 65.

Llewellyn, who turned 63 on Thursday, would have left office this week if the Constitution was not amended.

When she reached the initial retirement age of 60 in 2020, she was given a three-year extension.

In August this year, Llewellyn reportedly applied to continue serving in the post.

In a letter dated September 21, 2023, she was advised that “further to the amendment to Section 96 (1) of the Constitution, effective July 31, 2023, the Public Service Commission reviewed your letter of August 15, 2023 and agreed that your request to continue as DPP be allowed for an additional period of two years with effect from September 21, 2023”.

The letter, which was signed by the chief personnel officer of the Public Service Commission, Jacqueline Mendez, said the governor general approved the additional two years.

When contacted by The Gleaner on Thursday, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck said he was pleased.

“I am so happy that DPP Llewellyn, an outstanding Jamaican female professional, in spite of the toxic political atmosphere, has agreed to continue to serve our beloved country, and I expect her to continue to give outstanding service to the Office of the DPP,” he said.

The process was not without challenges, however, as there was widespread backlash against the move to amend the Constitution in July.

A lawsuit was filed in August in the Supreme Court by two members of the opposition People’s National Party, who are contending that the constitutional amendment was done for an improper purpose.

Phillip Paulwell, the leader of opposition business in the Lower House, and his counterpart in the Senate, Peter Bunting, are seeking declarations from the court that the amendment is unconstitutional and null and void.

They are seeking a declaration that Llewellyn should not be allowed to remain in office beyond September 21, 2023, when her 2020 extension ends.

The attorney general is the defendant in the suit and the trial is set for November 20 in the Full Court.