Senate passes bill to increase retirement age for DPP and Auditor-General

The Senate on Friday approved a Bill to increase the retirement age for the office holders of the director of public prosecutions and auditor general from 60 to 65 years amid growing controversy.  

The Constitution (Amendment of Sections 96(1) and 121(1)) Bill, which was passed in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, was approved in the Upper House without amendment.  

Eleven Government senators voted in favour of the Bill, while six Opposition senators voted against it.  

Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate Peter Bunting, who argued that the Bill should not be “rammed” through the Parliament to facilitate one person, said that the Opposition has written to Governor General Sir Patrick Allen and Attorney General Dr Derrick McKoy expressing grave concern about the expected passage of the Bill.  

Bunting argued, among other things, that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has been criticised by the Organization of American States mechanism for the implementation of Inter-American Convention against Corruption.  

He said, too, that the office had also been criticised by the then Office of the Contractor General for the lack of corruption prosecutions.  

Bunting said with the record of performance of the ODPP, extending Llewellyn's tenure would be a “travesty”.  

He said from a managerial and organisational development perspective, 17 years is “too long” a time for one person to serve in the position.  

Llewellyn has so far served 15 years in office.

The increase in retirement age will push that to 17.  

“Such a protracted tenure robs the office of the opportunity for new thinking and energy,” he said, questioning throughout the debate the Government's motive behind keeping Llewellyn in office.  

He introduced to the Senate a letter penned by Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Kathy Ann Pyke, which urged Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Justice Minister Delroy Chuck to postpone voting on the amendment and to launch an investigation into the viability of the ODPP.  

But, Government Senator Matthew Samuda hit back, questioning whether the “fascination, deep-seated attack” on Llewelyn was because of “crying Kern and Llewellyn”.  

He said there appears to be personal vendetta at play in the Opposition's objection to the increase in the retirement age for Llewellyn in particular.  

He called Pyke a “disgruntled employee” and said that the matter of constitutional amendment should not have been debated in the manner it was.  

“It is a disgrace,” said Samuda.

- Llewellyn Francis 

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