DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions Leanne Clare has been awarded a judge's job for life after a controversial eight-year reign as the state's top prosecutor.

Attorney-General Kerry Shine yesterday announced Ms Clare would end her current contract as DPP early and be appointed to one of the vacant District Court judge posts.

Ms Clare's leap into the judiciary will earn her a small pay rise from her current $295,971 salary.

With the $266,347 base pay, Ms Clare will also pocket a jurisprudential allowance of $21,536, an office allowance of $8780 and a long service leave allowance of $7618 – totalling $304,281.

Judges cannot be sacked and receive generous superannuation on retirement.

Ms Clare, who will step down next week, refused to comment yesterday but in January had indicated she would seek a new contract when her term expired in June.

"Nothing has changed my commitment to the office or the important work we do," Ms Clare said at the time.

Mr Shine yesterday praised Ms Clare, saying she had acted with integrity and had been fiercely independent in a very difficult role.

While there had been plenty of controversies during Ms Clare's time, this was to be expected in the high-profile role.

"DPPs by their very nature have to deal with these sorts of issues every day of the year," Mr Shine said.

"There would never be a time when there's not an issue of a high-profile nature that the DPP is not dealing with."

A national advertising campaign will be mounted to find Ms Clare's replacement with the Deputy DPP, Paul Rutledge, to act in the position.

Several names are being touted among the legal fraternity as possible replacements, including Wendy Abraham, QC, Justice Tim Carmody and Tony Moynihan, SC.

Ms Abraham, one of South Australia's most experienced lawyers, was controversially passed over for the top prosecutions job in favour of West Australian Stephen Pallaras, QC, in 2005.

Justice Carmody will step down from the Family Court bench in July and looks an ideal replacement for Ms Clare.

He has an extensive background in all areas of the law, and is highly respected by all factions within the state's legal fraternity.

But he has denied he has been approached about the job.

Legal Aid's top Court of Appeal practitioner Mr Moynihan, SC, who is on leave, has also been mentioned in the right circles as a possible DPP.

He has a strong background in prosecutions and defence work and took silk at the young age of 40.

If the Government decided to go in-house, current Deputy DPP Paul Rutledge, who successfully prosecuted serial killer Leonard John Fraser, would be the obvious choice.

The very experienced prosecutor David Meredith is another with the qualifications.

Ms Clare's appointment to the District Court was one of three announced yesterday.

Mr Shine said Ms Clare and David Andrews, SC, would replace Judge Forno and Judge Nase, who are both retiring, while barrister William Everson would replace Judge White in Cairns.

Originally published as Chief prosecutor made judge