STATE-employed attorneys, fed-up with what they said was an "untenable state of affairs" at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), yesterday stopped working and literally crippled the country's court system.

"Only four junior staff members were at work," a source at the DPP's office, who did not wish to be named, told the Observer yesterday.

There was no immediate indication of how long the dispute would last and the DPP, Kent Pantry, through his secretary, told the Observer that he was "not commenting on the matter."

The strike by the 22 prosecutors affected operations at Circuit Courts in St Catherine, Portland, St Mary, St Elizabeth, the two Gun Courts in Kingston and the four regional Gun Courts islandwide.

Ostensibly the lawyers are complaining that the Public Services Commission has not done anything to address a one-year-old breakdown of relations between Pantry and his staff that has its genesis in their request for him to reconsider a decision to revert a member of staff to the Resident Magistrate's Court.

The prosecutors also said that they had tried to get clarification as to the chain of command in the office, as well as the grievance procedures.

Based on their complaints, a three-man panel, headed by former high commissioner to London, attorney David Muirhead QC, was appointed in November last year to inquire into the operations of the office.

The panel recommended:

* That Pantry facilitate in whatever way possible the elimination of a "climate of fear", (whether real or imagined) alluded to by several staff members;

* the engagement of mediation services to repair the relationship between Pantry and the staff;

* a transfer of administrative functions within the department from the director to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice;

* the implementation of a proper hierarchical structure in office;

* the use of selection panels to improve transparency and accountability within the office;

* the timely filling of clear vacancies; and

* the provision of computers and Internet access for staff members.

The prosecutors, in a signed statement, are insisting that they want the recommendations to be implemented now as there is a lack of trust between Pantry and the staff which has caused them to become reluctant to exercise their initiative in handling matters before the court.

They argued that there is only one acting deputy DPP when the establishment provides for three; that junior staff have been promoted over senior staff; that some are acting in posts not assigned to the office of the DPP; and the chain of command and grievance procedures complained about two years ago were still not clear to them.

The prosecutors said that four competent and fairly experienced lawyers have resigned since January, and another is to go in July as a direct consequence of the state of affairs.

"If the situation is not meaningfully addressed immediately, most of us who remain are awaiting the earliest opportunity to leave," the prosecutors said.

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