❓ A parliamentary question seeks details about the departure of Fiona Low from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the parliamentary secretary provides an explanation citing restructuring and a mismatch of skills.
AnsweredQoN 640Legislative Council
Asked
15 September 2005
Member
Portfolio
parliamentary secretary representing the Attorney
General
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What are the circumstances surrounding the premature departure of the former director of legal services, Fiona Low, from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions? (2) What were the conditions of departure, financial or otherwise, when Fiona Low left the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
(2) What were the conditions of departure, financial or otherwise, when Fiona Low left the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
(1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
(2) What were the conditions of departure, financial or otherwise, when Fiona Low left the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
(1)-(2) As part of the process to review the operations of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which the Attorney General initiated in January this year, senior officers from the Department of Treasury and Finance, with the cooperation and support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, inquired into the running of the office. In July this year they made a number of recommendations to deliver a better service. A critical recommendation concerned the urgent need for some restructuring of the senior management of the office. The director has acknowledged and accepted this recommendation and has moved to implement the necessary changes. Ms Low was appointed in July 2002 as director of legal services on a five-year contract. With the necessary restructuring of corporate services within the office, the role of the director of legal services had to change quite considerably. Under the new structure, a new director of corporate services answers directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions instead of the director of legal services. The consultant state prosecutors now answer to the director of legal services and not directly to the DPP, as previously occurred. This has required the director of legal services to concentrate solely on legal management as opposed to both legal and corporate management. Under the restructuring, the director of legal services will also exercise a greater responsibility for high-level legal decision making and the management of the legal resources of the office. Although the skills set of Ms Low was closely aligned to the previous structure, it does not fit the new structure. The new structure ideally requires a criminal and civil law practitioner of many years experience and high standing in the profession to manage and make high-level decisions on cases handled by the lawyers in the office. Ms Low resigned with effect from close of business on Friday, 12 August 2005. She received her contractual and statutory entitlements.
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