By Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter THE OFFICE of the Services Commission is taking steps to appoint mediators to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) by January next year.
This is in keeping with several recommendations made in February this year by the Muir-head Committee which conducted a probe into the administrative functions of the Office of the DPP.
"The process has been far advanced," Charles Jones, Chief Personnel Officer in the Office of the Services Commission said last week when he was asked about the appointments for mediators.
However, some members of staff in the DPP's office said they were informed that two mediators would take up duties in January.
Prosecutors had staged a sick-out from June 30 to July 2 to protest against the 'untenable state of affairs' in the Office of the DPP and to force the Public Service Commission (PSC) to implement the recommendations made by the Muirhead Committee.
The committee had recommended a major overhaul of the Office of the DPP, as it affects staff, performance appraisal and the timely filling of clear vacancies. Mediators to work with the DPP and staff to facilitate team building, were some of the recommendations made by the Muirhead Committee.
On May 2, the PSC issued a statement revealing several of the recommendations made by the Committee. The PSC said in the news release that the recommendations also included equal opportunity for promotions, Internet access for staff and an improved appraisal system.
However, the prosecutors and several human rights groups have been calling on the PSC to make the full report public.
Following the three-day sick-out, a meeting was held on July 3 with the PSC, Government officials, Kent Pantry, Q.C., the Director of Public Prosecutions and representatives of the prosecutors in an effort to settle the dispute. Several agreements were reached, one of which was that recommendations for appointments to vacant posts would be considered by the PSC at its meeting scheduled for July 17. The prosecutors were also updated on the actions taken so far in implementing other Muirhead recommendations.
The industrial action taken by prosecutors had shut down the Circuit Courts islandwide.
Following the industrial action, Mr. Jones announced at the end of July that nine prosecutors who were acting in vacant posts, some for more than a year were appointed in the posts.
