A peak legal body has slammed the ACT government for a lack of transparency in reappointing ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Jon White for a further three years.
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The ACT Bar Association wrote to Attorney-General Simon Corbell several times leading up to the announcement to seek clarity on the prosecution job, which had been set to expire in September.
ACT Bar Association president Shane Gill said the correspondence had been met with a "stonewall response".
Mr Corbell said a full recruitment process was not necessary for a shorter than normal term while the government considered changes to the role.
Under the fixed term plan, the director could not be reappointed.
Mr White has served as the territory's director of public prosecutions since 2008 and his current seven-year contract expires in September.
The reappointment will extend his term to 10 years.
ACT Bar Association president Shane Gill said the absence of an open and transparent recruitment process reflected poorly on the government.
"Regardless of whatever merits might be seen in the appointment, the approach of the government stands in stark contrast to the transparent approach they have recently taken to the once hidden process of judicial appointment," Mr Gill said.
"In this case, the legitimate question of what was going to happen with the appointment was met firstly with a stonewall response, and then with the sudden announcement of an appointment.
"The government has been on notice for seven years as to when the appointment would need to be made, and the sudden reappointment in the face of a call for reform to the appointment process does the government no credit."
Mr Corbell said the extra three years would enable the proposed model to be refined.
"The government has recently commenced consultation on proposals to change the appointment process in line with representations from some stakeholders," Mr Corbell said.
"One of those proposals was that DPPs be limited to a single fixed 10-year term.
"In line with that proposal the government felt it was appropriate to appoint the current DPP to a term that took his total tenure in the role to 10 years."
