By Latrishka Thomas
The pursuit of a new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) remains underway, with the application period extended.
A vacancy for the role emerged in December 2022 after the retirement of former DPP Anthony Armstrong, following allegations of professional misconduct.
The application process for the position was initiated in mid-June and the original deadline was mid-July but Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin stated that the timeline had been extended.
In a more recent update, he emphasised that his office is diligently scrutinising all applicants before making recommendations to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.
“We are still going through the process very slowly but surely to make sure that the proper candidate is selected and recommended to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission for their consideration, but it’s going on very, very well.
“We want to take our time, deliberate and to make a proper judgement before that is done,” he told Observer.
The DPP role requires a candidate with extensive legal expertise, including a minimum of 20 years of experience in various legal domains, such as criminal courts, Magistrate’s Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal.
Furthermore, a minimum of 10 years of this experience must have been at the level of a Senior Crown Counsel or an equivalent role.
The selected candidate will be entitled to a monthly salary just over EC$15,000, for an annual remuneration totalling EC$187,116.
Former DPP Armstrong held the position for some years before retiring amid controversy. He was found guilty of professional misconduct by the General Legal Council of Jamaica for the apparent unauthorised sale of three properties belonging to a client.
Senior Crown Counsel Shannon Jones-Gittens is currently acting in his place.