The Attorney-General, Graham Leung, has confirmed the appointment of John Rabuku as the new Deputy Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). This follows Rabuku’s recent departure from the role of acting DPP, which took place five weeks prior. The announcement was made by acting DPP Nancy Tikoisuva on Wednesday.
Last month, Leung had requested Rabuku to step down from his acting DPP role after the Supreme Court deemed him ‘ineligible’ for the position. Leung stated that the DPP possesses the authority to appoint their personnel as stipulated by the Constitution, emphasizing that such decisions should solely be made by the DPP or their acting counterpart, rather than by the Judicial Services Commission or the Attorney-General.
He further explained that there is no legal requirement for the acting DPP to consult him or seek his approval for these appointments. Additionally, Leung remarked that it should not be assumed that the deputy DPP will automatically take over the responsibilities of the acting DPP should she take leave.