PNP ready to go all the way to Privy Council in DPP matter
KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding says the party is prepared to go to the nation’s highest appeal court to defend the ruling against the extension of the tenure of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn.
He was speaking at a press conference at the PNP headquarters in Kingston on Friday, following the Constitional Court’s ruling that the second extension of Llewellyn’s tenure in office is unconstitutional and the Government’s subsequent declaration that it will appeal the judgment.
READ: WATCH: Court rules second extension of DPP’s tenure unconstitutional
READ: Gov’t to appeal Constitutional Court ruling against DPP’s extension
Noting that it is a matter of principle, Golding said, “The court has ruled in a way which we think is correct and that upholds the issue and the concern and the cause that let us bring these proceedings in the first place, and to the extent of its appeal we will be vigorously defending that at the appellant courts whether it be the Court of Appeal in Jamaica or the highest court.”
Government last year hastily amended the constitution to increase the age at which the DPP should proceed on retirement from 60 to 65.
READ: DPP can now serve up to age 70
According to Golding the motivation for doing so at the time remains questionable.
“To apply that legislation to an incumbent who was facing imminent retirement indicated that the motivation for doing it and the way in which it was rushed through was primarily about trying to maintain that individual in the office and I am not going to get into why may have been the case in terms of what was their thinking as to why this was so critical.
“They have said what they have to say on that at the time, I don’t find it convincing at all but I think the way it was done speaks for itself,” Golding said.
The Opposition leader said Friday’s ruling should not be reviewed or looked on as a victory for a political cause or political party but as a victory for the people of Jamaica.
— Kelsey Thomas
