Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewelyn cited the example of her parents Clinton and Mavis Llewellyn whose insistence on diligence and excellence propelled their children to the heights of their respective professions on her acceptance of the St Andrew Business and Professional Women’s Club Mavis Watts Award on July 8, at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston.

Paula’s sister Diane Llewellyn-Nicholson followed in her beloved mother’s footsteps to be an award-winning  and highly regarded nurse based in the United States.

DPP LLewellyn, quoting her mother, said, “‘When you can work hard, nobody can use hard work to frighten you.’ When you have other people saying ‘rock-a-bye baby’ … when they were rocking their baby, my mother would say, ‘Get your profession.’ ” Her mother, she said,  emphasised that “when you can get your education and certify yourself, you have your independence and nobody can mess with you.” She appealed to the audience to do likewise with the young people in their charge.

Quoting from a sequence of Bible verses, the DPP underlined the perfect match between faith and good works and aligned this with the fearlessness instilled in her by her father. She acknowledged that “the slings and arrows in public life are sharp,” particularly in a patriarchal society, and that the lived values of her parents have sustained her in her fight for justice.

Llewellyn, noting that her own daughter, Leah was only 10 years old when she was appointed DPP, thanked her for her patience when the demands of her work were overwhelming. She went on to comment that the values gained from her parents which she had in turn endeavoured to pass on were bearing fruit: Leah’s academic achievements and outstanding record in tennis won her a scholarship to an exclusive high school in Virginia and later a scholarship to Purdue University in Indiana – the latter from which she recently graduated with two degrees: a BA in Law and Society, with a minor in English and Spanish as well as a BSc in Cybersecurity. Llewellyn noted that being a strict mother paid off because after two months at boarding school her daughter called to thank her for preparing her for the challenges she was facing.

Llewelyn recounted many high points in her career, but highlighted accompanying a father the scene of his daughter’s murder in Westmoreland, and receiving a heartfelt thank you for the family when the perpetrator was brought to justice, as one of the more touching.

The DPP encouraged national and corporate leaders to enable their teams to shine – even if it meant outshining the leader, and cited complimentary greetings from her direct reports that showed the effectiveness of her “open-door” policy.  

The St Andrew Business and Professional Women’s Club’s citation for the Mavis Watts Award praised DPP Llewellyn “for her contribution as a trailblazer and a fearless professional.” The citation presented by President Dr Lilieth Nelson noted, “Ms Llewellyn has over 30 years’ experience as a criminal law litigator and pioneered the prosecution of the first cases involving DNA and cell site data analysis in Jamaica.”

The citation informed, “Following Ms Llewellyn’s 2008 appointment as director of public prosecutions, she gained the Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) designation and was conferred with the Order of Distinction (Commander) from the Government of Jamaica in May and August 2008, respectively. In November 2008 she received the Civil Service Long Service Medal for 25 years in the public service. In recognition of her outstanding contribution as a trailblazer and fearless professional in the field of Law Enforcement, the St. Andrew Business & Professional Women’s Club (BPW St. Andrew) is pleased to present the Mavis Watts Award, named after our founder, to Ms. Paula Vanessa Llewellyn, CD, KC, Director of Public Prosecutions, Jamaica.”