Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The exodus of prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is continuing.

Five prosecutors resigned between September last year and January this year, and there are reports that others are planning to leave.

Those who resigned over the four-month period are Michael Deans, Shelly Ann Beckford-Louden, Sheron Barnes, Melrose Reid and Dale Palmer.

Reliable sources say the Government is concerned about the frequent resignations of senior legal officers from government departments and steps are now being taken to amend the Constitution to increase the age of retirement for Court of Appeal and Supreme Court Judges, Resident Magistrates and all legal officers, including the Solicitor General and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Retirement proposal

The proposal is for the age of retirement for judges to move from 70 to 72, and the age of retirement for Resident Magistrates and legal officers from 60 to 65.

A government official said yesterday that "one of the concerns is that most of the senior legal officers are leaving the service and only youngsters who lack the experience are available to prosecute cases in the courts."

However, he said, Cabinet will have to make an early decision as the plan involves an amendment to the Constitution, particularly for the retirement age for judges.