KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) has expressed congratulations to Claudette Thompson on her appointment as director of public prosecutions (DPP), as it calls for annual reports from her office.

“We urge the office to adopt the approach of releasing a comprehensive annual report detailing key metrics, including cases prosecuted, offence types, conviction rates, case processing times, and dispositions,” JFJ said in a statement on Friday.

It added that this report should also include anonymised demographic data of defendants and victims where appropriate, high-profile case prosecutions, resource allocation, anonymised victim and witness support data where appropriate, appeals outcomes, alternative dispute resolution usage, and public engagement activities, to enhance accountability and public trust in the justice system.

The advocacy group added that it was heartened by Thompson’s “early commitment to fostering open dialogue and collaboration with stakeholders while steadfastly maintaining the independence critical to the integrity of her office” while she was serving as acting DPP.

JFJ urged her to continue and expand the tradition of public education initiatives and strategic media engagement to ensure transparency and public trust.

“We have taken note of the increase in security force-related matters agreed to be prosecuted by the office in recent years. However, JFJ believes we still have far way to go, so we look forward to matters involving state actors being further increased to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law,” it said while also wishing her success in her tenure.