In a significant development, the Appeal Court has ruled that the Constitutional Court erred in striking down the extension of Paula Llewellyn’s tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The Appeal Court’s decision, handed down on Friday, determined that Llewellyn “automatically benefited” from the extension granted by the 2023 constitutional amendment.
The amendment, which was passed by a majority vote in both Houses of Parliament, increased the age of retirement for the DPP from 60 to 65. The Appeal Court ruled that this amendment, as well as section 2(2), which gave Llewellyn the right to elect to remain in office, were valid.
The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) challenged the extension, arguing that it was unconstitutional and that Llewellyn had already received one extension in 2020. However, the Appeal Court disagreed, stating that the process for extending the retirement age remained unchanged.
The ruling is a significant reversal of the April 19 decision by the Full Court, which had declared the second amendment “unconstitutional, null, void and of no legal effect.”
Llewellyn had stepped aside as DPP following that ruling, and Senior Deputy DPP Claudette Thompson was appointed as interim acting DPP.
