Durrant Pate/Contributor

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn is stepping aside and seems to be calling it quits on an illustrious career spanning close to 40 years as a prosecutor.

This is the latest development in a saga, which is not just causing a headache for the Andrew Holness administration but also a grave embarrassment while handing more political capital to the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), which took the Government to court over a second extension of the tenure of Llewellyn as DPP.

The PNP won that case with the Full Court also called the Constitutional Court ruling on Friday that the extension was in breach of the constitution with the Holness government insisting that the ruling had no impact on Llewellyn’s status in office.

About turn after 48 hours

However, 48 hours later the Government, through the Attorney General’s Department (AGD), has apparently relented on this position, announcing late yesterday that an acting DPP will be appointed.

This move was reportedly recommended to avoid a potential constitutional crisis, where decisions made by Llewellyn since the April 19 ruling could be deemed invalid. As such an early replacement for her was deemed a viable option.

There has been much anxiety about whether prosecutors would have the authority to act in the name of the DPP in court.

In the one-page statement, the AG said: “Due to the ambiguity and the consequent uncertainty arising from the Full Court’s judgment in Paulwell and Bunting vs the Attorney General SU 223 CV 02499, the DPP has advised that she is unable to carry out the functions of her office at this time.”

The statement continued by saying the Public Service Commission will be invited to appoint a qualified person to act in the role of DPP.

“After careful consideration of the judgment and in the public interest, the attorney general will be appealing the Full Court’s decision immediately, to have the issues resolved and determined by the Court of Appeal,” the statement concluded.

This after Opposition Leader Mark Golding called for the resignation of Attorney General Derrick McKoy and Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, who both claimed that Llewellyn’s status was not affected by the ruling.