(BVI Platinum News) After being without a substantive Director of Public Prosecu-tions (DPP) for five months, the BVI Government has appointed a new DPP.
When contacted on Tuesday evening, Acting Deputy Secretary in the Premier´s Office Sandra Ward confirmed with BVI Platinum News that Elizabeth Hinds, a Guyanese native has been appointd to the post of DPP.
Hinds who served as a Magistrate in Guyana for several years, reported to work on Monday June 14, 2010.
Ward explained that Hinds’ contract which took effect on Monday is for two years.
The position of DPP became vacant when Terrence Williams who worked in the BVI for some 10 years opted not to renew his contract which ended on January 22, 2010.
Then in late January, Premier Hon. Ralph T. O´Neal announced at a press conference that Principal Crown Counsel, Mrs. Grace Henry-McKenzie will be the Acting DPP until there is a substantive replacement. At the time, Premier O’Neal stated that the advertisement for the job was already out.
Days before his departure in an exclusive interview with BVI Platinum News, when asked who in the DPP´s office would be capable to best replace him based on experience, Williams pointed to Henry-McKenzie.
He also said that Senior Crown Counsel Candace Raphael-DeJonge is the only other person in the office that has the years that is required by the Constitution to be eligible for the position.
Williams noted that the Constitution requires that a person have at least seven years of practice.
“If you begin with that constitutional requirement, the only other persons in the office that have it are Mrs McKenzie and Mrs DeJonge. That is the first requirement. I am sure that Mrs Dejonge, after a few more years would make an excellent DPP in this territory or some other territory. She is very bright and resourceful. The other staff members who are juniors still need more years. Before you become a DPP, you have to first develop yourself as a leader in prosecuting and that comes with time, not overnight,” the former DPP explained.
BVI Platinum News understands that McKenzie and DeJonge did not apply for the post of DPP.
Meanwhile, during the recent Standing Finance Committee (SFC) meetings, Henry-McKenzie said that two of the Senior Crown Counsel and all four of the Crown Counsel in the DPP´s office are BVIslanders.
When asked whether there was a succession plan in place to promote any of the BVIslanders, McKenzie said a succession plan was always in place, but could not give an actual report of what the previous DPP had decided upon.
She stated that the Office of the DPP always provided training courses or on the job training with an aim that BVIslanders could eventually fill the positions held by contract officers.
At Large Representative Hon. Keith Flax had queried if she could inform how many years it might take for any of the BVIslanders to fill at least the post of Principal Crown Counsel. McKenzie in her response said that it might take at least another year for the most Senior Crown Counsel to achieve the post of Principal Crown Counsel.
