Office Of The DPP To Be Renovated And Expanded

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is to be renovated and expanded at a cost of just over $626 million.

The contract for the undertaking was signed on Thursday (September 26) during a quarterly press briefing at the Ministry of Justice, Constant Spring Road, in St. Andrew.

Y.P. Seaton and Associates Company Limited will undertake the project, which is expected to get under way shortly and should be completed within eight months.

Funding for the project will be taken from the Government of Jamaica funds allocated in the Ministry’s 2019/20 budget.

On completion, the new building will boast meeting rooms; offices; lobbies; registry; cafeteria; bathrooms; security posts; extended library and conference rooms; and associated services, such as electrical, air conditioning, plumbing, fire services, external works and landscaping.

In his address, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, said the expansion will ensure that all the staff of the DPP and their personnel will be accommodated.

“The facilities at the Court of Appeal… are first-class facilities, just completed by the same contractor, Y.P Seaton, and we expect no less at the DPP. We expect the DPP offices to be first-class facilities,” he added.

For her part, Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, while welcoming the expansion, said that, currently, there are 56 lawyers in a space that used to comfortably accommodate just over 20 lawyers.

“We have had to take over the library. There are six Crown Counsels sitting there… desks, chairs, cabinet, computer portals. In the big room… we now have 13 lawyers. We don’t have any more space,” Ms. Llewellyn said.

“So, it is important that in enhancing our delivery, that we be properly accommodated. As soon as I see that we are halfway through the renovations, I am going to be crafting another justification for another 10 attorneys, based on the vision that I have,” she added.

The DPP said there is no space to interview witnesses. We usually do it in our offices or in the conference rooms. So, we will be very happy to get that,” Ms. Llewellyn said.

Expansion of the Office of the DPP will complete the transformation of Public Building West, as upgrading of the island’s Justice Infrastructure continues.