The Editor, Sir:

I write, first, to congratulate Paula Llewellyn, QC, on her appointment as Jamaica's director of public prosecutions. Having seen Paula in action for the past 20 years, I can attest to her awesome competence as a prosecutor, the fearlessness of her character and the authenticity of her persona. I have little doubt that the Department of Public Prosecutions will become the emblem of excellence that Paula already is. Despite my general misgivings about the legitimacy of the new Public Service Commission, I believe that its selection of Paula as the new DPP is absolutely correct.

However, the PSC gets a failing grade for excluding Hugh Wildman and Terrence Williams from the shortlist of candidates interviewed for the post of DPP. Both Hugh Wildman and Terrence Williams have not only been prosecutors in Jamaica, but have been directors of public prosecutions in other CARICOM jurisdictions. Hugh is a former DPP of Grenada, while Terrence is the DPP of the British Virgin Islands.

Reasonable explanation

While I do not question the qualifications of Lisa Palmer, Marlene Malahoo-Forte and Vinette Graham-Allen, only one of them has had experience running a department of public prosecution (Mrs Graham-Allen is a former DPP of Bermuda).

In the absence of reasonable explanation from the PSC for its exclusion of Messrs Wildman and Williams from the shortlist, I can only infer that it acted arbitrarily. This is a pity, given its otherwise stellar selection of Paula Llewellyn as DPP.

I am, etc.,

O. HILAIRE SOBERS

ohilaire@yahoo.com

Washington, DC