Controversy And Triumph: The Legacy of Jamaica’s First Woman DPP

Paula Llewellyn, Jamaica’s First Woman Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, announced her departure from the role on Sunday amid controversy surrounding her second tenure extension. The decision could possibly cap her 16-year-long run, marked by both triumphs and challenges. Llewellyn shattered the glass ceiling on March 4, 2008, assuming the mantle of DPP after Kent Pantry. Inspired by her mother, Llewellyn vowed to serve without fear or favor, guided, she said, by a profound sense of duty. However, controversies, criticisms, and challenges peppered her path. One such instance was the Cuban Light Bulb scandal, where allegations of corruption swirled around former Junior Energy Minister Kern Spencer and his assistant, Colleen Wright. Spencer and Wright were arrested in February 2008, just a few weeks before the new DPP took office. Despite Llewellyn’s efforts to prosecute, challenges arose, including clashes with Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey, whom Llewellyn accused of bias. Five years later, on March 10, 2014, the defense filed a no-case submission, leading to the release of both the accused later that month.

Criticism from various quarters highlighted concerns about organizational inefficiencies and a perceived lack of aggression on corruption cases. In October 2009, then-Contractor General Greg Christie submitted a report to parliament that revealed breaches by now-deceased government MP Joseph Hibbert, who resigned on July 14, 2009, amid allegations of corruption stemming from his tenure as Junior Transport and Works Minister. Hibbert’s resignation followed revelations that a British firm pleaded guilty to bribery, implicating officials, including Hibbert, in illicit activities. Despite allegations, no evidence linked Hibbert to the charges, and he was never formally charged.

The Opposition, nonetheless, in 2011, accused Llewellyn of dropping the ball, an accusation they’d continue to hurl up to her recent departure. Other high-profile cases further thrust Llewellyn into the spotlight. The extradition of former police officer Mark Russell from the United States and the murder trial of dancehall artist Vybz Kartel are two such examples. In July 2018, the DPP faced allegations of prosecutorial misconduct during the murder appeal for the reputed murderer. Lead attorney Bert Samuels, representing Kartel’s co-accused Shawn Storm, accused Llewellyn of ignoring jury tampering and proceeding with the case.

In 2024, the UK Privy Council quashed the murder conviction of the Jamaican dancehall entertainer and his three co-accused, based on the finding that the trial judge’s handling of the allegations of jury misconduct amounted to material irregularity. Despite these challenges, Llewellyn achieved significant victories, including legislative milestones like the Post Judicature (Appellate Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Act 2021, which granted the prosecution a limited right of appeal in criminal proceedings, a cause for which she had advocated for over a decade. In October 2022, the DPP celebrated her first successful appeal under the amendment.

As her tenure drew to a close, controversy once again reared its head. The government’s decision to extend Llewellyn’s tenure for a second faced opposition, triggering a public row and casting a shadow over her legacy. The ensuing legal battle culminated in a constitutional court ruling, prompting Llewellyn’s resignation and replacement by Claudette Thompson. Many have lauded her tenure as transformative despite the conflicts, but for now, her future in the judiciary is uncertain.