Office of The Attorney General & Ministry of Legal Affairs
Press Statement of Permanent Secretary (Acting) Mr. Leroy Sumner 05 August 2010
An article appearing in today’s [5/8/2010] edition of The Tribune contains misrepresentations concerning the holders of public office posts in the Office of the Attorney General that requires immediate clarification in the interest of dispelling misinformation and to better inform the public.
On authority of the Constitution, appointments of legal officers in the Office of the Attorney Genera! are made by the Governor General (acting in accordance with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission). No public officer may self appoint or otherwise assume appointments to legal officer positions in the public service.
On the mentioned authority (Governor General acting on advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission), effective 1 June 2010 –
• Mrs. Cheryl Grant Bethel (formerly a Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions) was promoted and appointed Deputy Law Reform and Revision Commissioner; and
• Messrs Franklyn Williams and Garvin Gaskin (formerly Assistant Director of Legal Affairs, in the Department of Public Prosecutions), respectively, were promoted and appointed Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
Also on the mentioned authority, Mrs. Vinette Graham Allen (formerly Director of Judicial Training Institute, Jamaica, and also a former Director of Public Prosecutions, Bermuda) was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions and is to assume duties next week.
All of the mentioned appointees have been assigned rooms within the Office of the Attorney General as relevant to the respective appointments in the Department of Public Prosecutions (Post Office Building premises) or the Law Reform and Revision Commission (British American Financial Centre premises).
Mrs. Grant Bethel has been issued assignments in her capacity as Deputy Law Reform and Revision Commissioner, and not otherwise. She has no assignment in the Department of Public Prosecutions. Messrs Williams and Gaskin, respectively, are and have been functioning as Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions since June 2010.
The post of Director of Public Prosecutions has been vacant since the admittance of (now) Mr. Justice Turner and the Director of Legal Affairs was assigned oversight of the Department of Public Prosecutions during the vacancy.
Upon the assumption of duties, Mrs.Graham Allen will discharge the function of Director of Public Prosecutions. Mrs. Graham Allen, Mr. Williams and Mr. Gaskin will comprise the senior management team of the Department of Public Prosecutions.
