‘I’ve never been afraid to go in the trenches’
DPP honoured by St Andrew Business and Professional Women’s Club
Published:Monday | July 10, 2023 | 12:07 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
Paula Llewellyn has built a reputation as a fearless and hardworking prosecutor since making history 15 years ago when she became the first female director of public prosecutions (DPP). On Saturday, her contribution to the field of law enforcement was recognised by the St Andrew Business and Professional Women’s Club that presented her with the Mavis Watts Award, named after its late founder.
Telling the audience that she was in the “sunset stage” of her more than 30-year career as a criminal law litigator, Llewellyn credited her success to having a strong work ethic and being disciplined, values which she said were instilled in her from an early age by her late parents.
“My mother used to say, when you can work hard, nobody can use hard work to frighten you,” she said.
Her mother, Mavis Llewellyn, was a nurse, who she said believed strongly in putting service to the country above self, and had imprinted this belief on to her children. She supported and encouraged her career, but sadly, died two years before Llelwellyn was promoted to the post of the nation’s top prosecutor.
Being the first female in the role meant that she had to contend with the patriarchy “which sometimes excuses mediocrity where male leaders are concerned, (but is) not so forgiving where female leaders are concerned”.
‘Daddy believed in courage’
She was, however, not detained by this, having been trained by her father, Clinton Llewellyn. The late realtor impressed upon her the need to be courageous and, with that, she was ready to face the “slings and arrows” thrown at her in public life.
“Daddy believed in courage. You had to have courage, you can’t be afraid of anything,” she said. “I’ve never been afraid to go in the trenches and to show that you have to have a broad back so, no matter where the slings and arrows are coming from, it matters not, I stand up and I take it on the chin on behalf of my staff, like a man is supposed to.”
She said these values are the same she tries to impart on her now 24-year-old daughter.
Llewellyn said she inherited a very demotivated staff when she became the DPP, but set about employing strategic planning, practising emotional intelligence and having a culture of mentorship which she used to rebuild and refresh.
“When I took over the office in 2008, you had only about 23 lawyers, everybody was demotivated. You had one or two computers in the entire building, you had one air conditioning unit and it was in the then director’s office,” she said.
“And today, we have on staff at least 55 lawyers. We are covering between eight to 10 more courts than we were when I went to the office of the DPP. We now have twice the space and we are now comfortably housed. We have up to five paralegals supporting us, many more administrative professionals, we have a staff now of about 100 persons.”
She said specialised units were also formed, including the digital and cybercrimes unit, an anti-gang unit, and a mutual legal assistance unit.
“But all of it is because of the adoption of two things, embracing the fact that hard work has to be part of the DNA of the success and professionalism of the office, and, as the leader, I tell my staff all the time that I seek to create an atmosphere where everyone of them, from the senior deputy to the office attendant, can feel safe and happy seeking to outshine the director of public prosecutions,” she said.
This is an approach she said she wishes more leaders would adopt.
Asserting that she is a patriot of Jamaica, Llewellyn shared that she has found self-actualisation in offering her service to the country she loves.
“If I had my life to live over again, notwithstanding all the obstacles that have been hitting my way, all the challenges, I would still become a public servant and that is a prosecutor,” she said.