THE Judiciary has reassured that it is actively engaged in the process of recruiting prosecutors to fill vacancies at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).The Judiciary made the statement yesterday amid concern over whether the expansion of the Criminal Division of the High Court can succeed without corresponding increases in prosecutorial staff.The statement issued by Kerry-Anne Roberts, Communications and Information manager of the Judiciary, stated that recruitment to address staffing shortages at the DPP’s Office is ongoing and that the DPP is fully aware of those efforts.“The Judiciary is aware of the concerns relating to prosecutorial staffing and notes that recruitment processes in respect of vacancies within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions are ongoing,” the statement said.It added that the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) “is currently actively engaged in the process to fill vacancies in the Office of the DPP”.The statement further noted that DPP Roger Gaspard is aware of the recruitment efforts “because his Office is a key and engaged participant in the process”.The response followed a letter issued by Gaspard to acting Registrar of the Supreme Court Kimberly Prescott, in which he warned that his office was unable to assign prosecutors to additional High Court criminal courts because of severe staffing shortages.The letter raised questions about whether the Judiciary’s plan to assign additional judges to tackle the criminal backlog can be effective without parallel investment in prosecutorial resources.The Judiciary stated that the DPP’s correspondence was received after the acting Registrar had written to him about the assignment of additional judges and proposed court arrangements within the Criminal Division. That communication was intended to support administrative coordination among criminal justice stakeholders, the statement said.It also emphasised its broader efforts to improve the criminal justice system, pointing to ongoing case management initiatives, judicial training, stakeholder collaboration and strategic administrative reforms.It highlighted the role of the recently established Criminal Justice Board, which it said is intended to facilitate continuous dialogue and coordinated problem-solving among agencies involved in the administration of criminal justice. The board, the statement noted, is currently working on several initiatives.The statement added that with the recent appointment of new judges to the High Court, further efforts are being made to strengthen the management and progression of criminal matters.Earlier yesterday, the Sunday Express had sent an e-mail to Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh seeking his response to the DPP’s letter.In its statement, the Judiciary said that given the limited timeframe, the Chief Justice was unable to adequately engage members of the JLSC on the issues raised, and the response was therefore provided by the Judiciary.The Judiciary emphasised that it remains committed to improving the “timely and fair resolution of criminal cases” and will continue to provide updates on relevant initiatives where appropriate.
Judiciary seeking to fill vacancies at dpp
THE Judiciary has reassured that it is actively engaged in the process of recruiting prosecutors to fill vacancies at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).The Judiciary made
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