New Director of Public Prosecutions Vinette Graham-Allen has her sights on bigger things ? to prosecute some of the world?s most infamous war criminals at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

The Jamaican lawyer started her new role on Monday, but she told yesterday she aims to eventually move to the Netherlands when her three year tenure on the Island is up.

If her dream comes true, she could find herself prosecuting former dictators such as Slobodan Milosovic, who is currently on trial for the genocide his Serb forces allegedly carried out against Muslims and Croats during the notorious ?ethnic cleansing? of the Balkans.

Mrs. Graham-Allen, a former acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Jamaica, said she had already taken courses in preparation for the world?s top court and admitted she has long desired to go there.

She will return to her native Jamaica in 2007, but her preferred option would be to go The Hague.

?I really desire to work at the International Criminal Court. I felt I have reached the top of my prosecutorial career and I want to venture to the international arena,? she said.

?So I have thought about the ICC and I have been on courses since I have been in Bermuda in preparation for that.?

She said she hopes that after working at The Hague she will be able to return to Jamaica and help train prosecutors from across the Caribbean or sit as a judge.

Mrs. Graham-Allen, 46, took over from acting DPP Kulandra Ratneser and has a remit to Bermudianise the department by the time she leaves in 2007.

The DPP?s office should have 14 prosecutors but currently it has ten.

She said that so far the staffing shortage was not having an adverse effect on the ability to bring cases to trial in a timely manner, but it may when Crown counsel Oonagh Vaucrossan goes on maternity leave shortly.

She said she did not believe it was unrealistic to try to fill all the top posts in the department with Bermudians by the time she leaves.

?I have a three years succession plan and the basis is to train junior crown counsel to take over at the end of my tenure, and one or two of them may also take over any senior positions that become available,? she said.

?That is the idea behind the training and development. I will be focussing on the training and skills they need in court and I hope to put on some advocacy courses for them.

?I know that at least four Crown counsel positions will become vacant by the end of my tenure and I would not have presented that (Bermudianisation succession plan) if I had not done my homework.?