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Canberra Today 16°/18° | Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Jon White to stay on as prosecutor amidst changes to the position

supreme court

SIMON Corbell has announced the reappointment of Jon White as the Director of Public Prosecutions for the ACT for a further three years.

Jon has served as the Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions since 2008. His reappointment will extend his term to 10 years.

Simon congratulated Jon on his re-appointment and for his strong leadership in successfully steering the DPP through a period of significant change.

“Mr White’s experience and leadership has been of great benefit to the DPP during the past seven years,” Simon said.

“He has worked to ensure prosecutions occur as promptly as possible, and has been a strong supporter of the intensive criminal listing processes before the Supreme Court, which has significantly reduced the number of cases with long waiting times.

“He has made a major contribution to the ACT community through his role as the Director of Public Prosecutions, and I know this will continue during his further three year appointment.”

Simon went on to announce the government will consult on a proposal to limit the term for a Director of Public Prosecutions to 10 years and to raise the age limit to 70.

The proposed changes to the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1990 would allow for fixed 10-year appointments but with no possibility of reappointment.

“In response to recommendations from stakeholders, including the ACT Bar Association, and in line with the approach taken in some other jurisdictions, I am seeking views about whether the term of the DPP’s appointment should be changed to a fixed 10 year term.”

“As part of this consultation, it will also be considered whether an appointee should be ineligible for reappointment for a further term, and if the limit on the age of appointment should be extended from 65 years to 70 years.

“These changes would allow for certainty and security for the appointee while ensuring the DPP can act independently with no concern about having to seek reappointment.”

A number of justice system stakeholders have been approached as part of the consultation and feedback is welcomed through justice.act.gov.au on the following proposals:

  • that the term of the Director’s appointment be changed to a fixed 10 year term (currently it may be any term that is not more than seven years);
  • that the appointee not be eligible for reappointment for a further term (currently, the operation of section 208 of the Legislation Act 2001 allows a person to be reappointed to a position if the person is eligible to be appointed to the position); and
  • that a person cannot be appointed beyond the age of 70 years (currently a person cannot be appointed if the person is 65 years of age or older, or for a period that extends beyond the date on which the person will turn 65).

The consultation will be open until 30 September.


The Law Society and the Bar Association have been unusually unhappy in their response:

The President of the ACT Law Society, Mr Martin Hockridge, and the President of the ACT Bar, Mr Shane Gill, today welcomed the ACT Government’s commitment to consult with the legal profession regarding its proposals for a fixed term for the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The position of DPP is a respected, senior position within the ACT justice system. The position necessarily has a high public profile and it is appropriate that the Government consider the views of the legal profession and others when considering questions of tenure and conditions related to the position.

Both the Society and the Bar are disappointed that the ACT Government did not consider its position in a more timely manner. The Society and the Bar regard the ACT Government’s decision to reappoint the DPP in the absence of an open and transparent recruitment process and without the benefit of considering these proposals as a missed opportunity.

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Ian Meikle, editor

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