Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn officially demitted office on Friday, closing the chapter on a remarkable 41-year career in public service, including 17 years as Jamaica’s top prosecutor.
Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson will assume the role in an acting capacity beginning Monday, September 22, as the transition of leadership at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) begins.
In a farewell statement, Llewellyn described her tenure as “a privilege and a meaningful journey of service,” expressing deep gratitude to the many individuals and agencies she worked with over the years.
“Throughout my 41 years of public service, I have been privileged to have not only given service above self to the public at the highest level but I have worked with and mentored a host of fine professionals in my ODPP family,” she said.
She thanked law enforcement agencies, members of the judiciary, court staff, reporters, the Department of Correctional Services, the Ministry of Justice, international partners, and her colleagues across the Caribbean, as well as her church, former schoolmates, and friends for their steadfast support.
“It has been an honour and privilege to live my passion and to facilitate the transformation of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions into the premier prosecuting agency in the Caribbean, with the capacity to prosecute complex cases and appear at every level of the courts,” Llewellyn added.
Llewellyn’s official work email will remain active for the next three weeks to aid in the transition. She encouraged stakeholders to extend “the same support and professionalism” to Thompson as she takes on the acting role.
Thompson’s path to the top
Thompson, who has more than 20 years of prosecutorial experience, brings a wealth of expertise to the post. A past student of the University of the West Indies, Mona, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, she later completed a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom and a Certificate of Legal Education at the Norman Manley Law School.
She began her career as Clerk of the Court in St Ann in 2004 before joining the ODPP as an Assistant Crown Counsel in 2007. Over the years, she has led several critical units within the ODPP, including the Gun Court Unit and the Home Circuit Administration Unit, and handled rulings from various state entities.
Thompson has played key roles in some of Jamaica’s most high-profile criminal prosecutions. Among them were the anti-gang case that secured the conviction of One Don faction leader Andre Bryan; the prosecution and conviction of the Uchence Wilson gang; and the conviction of Clansman leader Tesha Miller for accessory after the fact in the murder of Jamaica Urban Transit Company chairman Douglas Chambers.
Born on May 27, 1975, Thompson will now steer the ODPP as acting DPP during this period of transition. She can be reached at claudette.thompson@dpp.gov.jm or via CUG at 876-579-8653.
As she steps into the role, Llewellyn, now entering what she calls her new portfolio of “retirement,” expressed optimism about the future while leaving behind a legacy of service, transformation, and unwavering dedication to justice.
 Paula Llewellyn demitted office on Friday, closing the chapter on a remarkable 41-year career.){kind=link}