Two Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions appointed

• Crown Prosecutors Caroline Marco and Gregory Cummings have been appointed Deputy Directors of the ODPP.
• Mr Cummings’ position has been newly created and will focus on cases requiring DNA re-testing.

Queensland’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has been bolstered by the appointments of two eminent deputy directors.

Crown prosecutors Gregory Cummings and Caroline Marco will be elevated to their new positions from 16 August.

Mr Cummings has been appointed to a newly created position for two years, which will have a particular focus on cases requiring the testing or re-testing of forensic DNA evidence following the 2023 Commission of Inquiry (COI).

Active cases before the court are currently being prioritised, as well as matters no longer before the courts but for which DNA results may have been called into question by the COI recommendations.

Mr Cummings was admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court in 1985 and pursued a successful career in private in Brisbane, involving both civil and criminal law.

He was appointed Senior Counsel in the Criminal Justice Commission (now the Crime and Corruption Commission) in 1991 before accepting a position as a legal officer in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in 1993.

Mr Cummings was appointed a prosecutor in 1996 and a Principal Prosecutor in 2008.

He brings a wealth of experience to the position of Deputy Director, having previously prosecuted a broad variety of criminal law matters in Queensland including complex and high-profile murder trials, and has regularly appeared in the Court of Appeal.

Ms Caroline Marco has been appointed as Deputy Director for a five-year term.

Ms Marco was admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court in 2003 and was appointed as a Crown Prosecutor in Brisbane in 2005.

She was promoted to Senior Crown Prosecutor in 2007 and Principal Crown Prosecutor in 2011.

Ms Marco has appeared as leading counsel in all types of hearings, applications, trials and appeals in the District Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

In recent years, she has prosecuted some of Queensland’s most high-profile cases.

Ms Marco has previous leadership experience as an Acting Deputy Director on several occasions.

Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Yvette D’Ath:

“I congratulate Ms Caroline Marco and Mr Gregory Cummings on their well-deserved appointments as deputy directors of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Both Ms Marco and Mr Cummings have had long-standing and highly successful careers, driving the delivery of prosecution services in Queensland’s criminal justice environment.

“They have appeared regularly as leading counsel in highly complex criminal trials and appeals, and bring a wealth of experience to their new positions.

“The addition of a second deputy position will also help ease the significant workload created by legal-led case reviews of cases requiring retesting of forensic DNA evidence.

“I wish Ms Marco and Mr Cummings well in their new roles.”

ENDS