Senator’s Shocking Accusation: NT Attorney-General Referred to Corruption Watchdog Amid Allegations of Government Interference in Supreme Court Media
- Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe has made a damning referral to the NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, accusing Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby of undermining the judiciary’s independence.
- A leaked email revealed the NT’s top judge, Chief Justice Michael Grant, asked the Attorney-General’s Department not to interfere with the court’s media communications, sparking concerns of government meddling.
- The Attorney-General’s Department and the court’s media officer later claimed the email was a “misunderstanding,” but Senator Thorpe is demanding a thorough investigation into the matter.
Sensational allegations of government interference in the media activities of the Northern Territory Supreme Court have led to a dramatic referral to the NT’s corruption watchdog. Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe has accused Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby of undermining the independence of the judiciary, sparking a fresh crisis in the NT’s highest legal circles.
In a leaked email, Chief Justice Michael Grant asked the Attorney-General’s Department not to interfere with the court’s media communications, revealing deep-seated concerns about government meddling in the judiciary’s independence.
The email, published last week in a Sydney-based law journal, has sent shockwaves through the NT’s legal community.
At the centre of the controversy is the sentence handed down to Jake Danby, who received a 12-month community corrections order after pleading guilty to hit-and-run driving causing death.
The sentence drew widespread criticism from NT Aboriginal communities and has been appealed by the NT Director of Public Prosecutions.
Senator Thorpe, who has long-standing connections with Indigenous Australians in the NT, has called for a thorough investigation into the allegations of government interference.
“Respect for the division of powers is integral to the proper functioning of the NT’s democratic institutions and fundamental right to due legal process,” she wrote in her referral to the NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
The senator also took aim at Attorney-General Boothby’s handling of the matter, accusing her of lacking transparency and accountability. “The attorney-general should have come clean straight away,” Senator Thorpe said.
“For her not to be open and transparent about her relationship with this person who’s killed somebody is one thing — she needs to step down immediately for that.”
As the controversy continues to unfold, Senator Thorpe’s referral to the corruption watchdog has raised critical questions about the NT government’s commitment to upholding the principles of judicial independence and accountability.