WITH just over two months to go before Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn demits office, several members of the legal profession say her successor will have big boots to fill.

They have also urged that the selection process for a new candidate be transparent.

“Given the significance of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to the fair administration of justice, I believe it is essential that the process of selecting the next DPP be handled with the utmost care, transparency, and regard for the constitutional independence of the role,” attorney-at-law Tamika Harris told the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

She opted against sharing who she thought would be a good fit for the role, but shared that the chosen candidate must be one of integrity.

“I do hope that whoever is ultimately selected will embody the highest standards of integrity, independence, and legal excellence that the office demands,” she continued.

A circular published by the Office of the Services Commissions (OSC) in May, advertising the soon-to-be-vacant post, said the successful candidate will be responsible for planning, organising, controlling, and coordinating the operations, work activities and the resources of the ODPP necessary for achieving its defined objectives.

The DPP is also ultimately responsible for the initiation of prosecutions and the decision-making in all criminal matters, pursuant to Section 94 of the Jamaica Constitution and instruments designating the incumbent with the status of Central Authority for Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition and for enhancing the image of the ODPP.

The minimum requirements for the role are a law degree from a recognised institution, a Legal Education Certificate from Norman Manley Law School, and 10 years’ experience prosecuting criminal matters of varying complexity.

The salary associated with the role ranges from $17,705,429 to $20,032,068 per annum, plus any allowances attached to the post.

Prominent attorney, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie, who had high praises for the outgoing DPP, said the successful candidate must be someone who can build on Llewellyn’s legacy.

“The successful candidate, in my mind, would have to be someone who, firstly, is prepared to and will build on the legacy of Miss Llewellyn… Miss Llewellyn had a style in terms of that department interfacing with the public, giving updates on matters, and also interviews, and explaining the consequences of a particular case. Whether it is a decision not to prosecute or to prosecute, or a case not leading to a conviction — all of these things are things that I think go very well for transparency and for public education.

“I would not want to see a new DPP veering from that, going back to the days when information from that office was sparse,” he said.

Champagnie is also of the view that the new DPP should command the respect of all members of the office.

“You don’t want to have a candidate that is taking over where there is any kind of divide, because that office doesn’t have the luxury of that element to contend with,” he said, adding that the candidate must not only possess strong administrative skills but also be active in the courts.

Meanwhile, another prominent attorney, Christopher Townsend, said Senior Deputy Director of Prosecutions Claudette Thompson demonstrated, during her tenure as acting DPP, that she is a strong candidate.

“While she was there, I believe she has certainly demonstrated that she is effective at managing that role. That role comes with a lot of power. It comes with a lot of, I want to say, political manoeuvring and not necessarily party politics; so, the administration aspect of that role comes with a whole heap of political manoeuvring. I believe that she has demonstrated that she is …positioned for that, and to manage that process. So, I think that she would make an excellent DPP,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Townsend noted that Thompson is also well-liked by both sides of the Bar.

Champagnie, too, concurred that Thompson executed the role well while serving as acting DPP, despite her short tenure.

“The period of her acting tenure may have been too short to make a comprehensive assessment, but certainly she acquitted herself well, and she is someone that is equal to the task and highly skilled and competent. But there may be also others, but as I said before, I don’t want to be so audacious as to single out any one particular individual,” Champagnie noted.

Thompson served as acting DPP for six months after Llewellyn stepped aside from the role in April last year amid controversy surrounding a Constitutional Court ruling that the second extension of the 2023 constitutional amendment extending her tenure was “unconstitutional, null, and void”. This ruling was, however, overturned by the Court of Appeal, clearing the way for Llewellyn to resume her role and remain in office until she is 65 years of age.

Llewellyn has served as the country’s DPP for 17 years and is the first female to occupy the role.