Senator Thorpe Refers NT Attorney-General to Corruption Watchdog Over Alleged Court Media Interference

Senator Lidia Thorpe has referred Northern Territory Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby to the NT Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), alleging interference with the independence of the judiciary and court operations. This follows a leaked email from Chief Justice Michael Grant expressing concern that the Attorney-General's Department blocked the Supreme Court from issuing a media statement about the sentencing of Jake Danby, who was involved in a hit-and-run that killed an Aboriginal man and injured another. Thorpe highlights Boothby's familial ties to Danby, which were initially undisclosed, raising questions about transparency and conflicts of interest. The Attorney-General and her department deny wrongdoing, attributing the email incident to a misunderstanding. Thorpe calls for a full ICAC investigation, emphasizing the importance of judicial independence, the separation of powers, and the systemic discrimination faced by First Peoples in the legal system. The controversy has sparked widespread criticism from Aboriginal communities and led to an appeal against Danby's sentence by the NT Director of Public Prosecutions.