The controversial appointee to the post of director of public prosecutions cannot appear in court until she’s been called to the Bahamian Bar. Last week the Bahamas Bar Council committee sent Vinette Graham-Allen a one liner advising that she did not complete the application requirements, according to a well-placed source.
Graham-Allen reportedly did not supply character references as required by the Bar Association and filed her supporting documents on legal sized paper instead of letter sized paper, according to the source. Requirements for applicants are posted on the Bar Association’s website.
The Bar Association expects members to object to Graham-Allen’s admission once her re-submitted application is circulated. Cheryl Grant-Bethell, the former deputy director of Public Prosecutions, claims she was overlooked for the position. The court has given Grant-Bethell permission to challenge the appointment by a judicial review application.
Graham-Allen replaced Bernard Turner, who held the post for 10 years before he was appointed a Supreme Court judge. Graham-Allen previously served as the DPP in Bermuda, between the years of 2004 and 2007, where she is credited with reducing the backlog of criminal cases while increasing conviction rates.
A 52-year-old career lawyer, she most recently served as the head of the Justice Training Institute in Jamaica.
In her new post, she also faces a backlog of cases and low conviction rates.
By Artesia Davis
The Nassau Guardian
