Fmr Police Commissioner Michael Murphy recruits Josh Bornstein to represent him against NTG

Former NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy has secured the services of a top Australian lawyer, as fallout continues following his removal from the job.

Former NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy has secured the services of a top Australian lawyer as fallout continues following his removal from the job by the NT Government on Saturday.

Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Josh Bornstein will represent Mr Murphy, as the former Commissioner responds to his removal from the top cop job last weekend.

A Maurice Blackburn spokesperson confirmed Mr Murphy had retained Josh Bornstein, a reputed employment lawyer with one of the country’s largest non-criminal law firms.

Melbourne based with a national profile, Mr Bornstein has been central to a number of high-profile workplace hearings including representing the Australian Council of Trade Unions and Ansett Australia employees when the domestic airline was placed in the hands of administrators in 2001.

Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Josh Bornstein. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross

He assisted the Maritime Union of Australia in their High Court dispute with Patrick Stevedores and is assisting broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf in her action against the ABC.

Mr Murphy’s decision to hire a highly credentialed legal counsel indicates he could be positioning himself to challenge the NT Government’s decision to replace him in the role.

Announcing Mr Murphy would be replaced as commissioner, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the terms and conditions of his appointment required payment of six-months remuneration upon termination.

Mr Bornstein’s appointment could indicate Mr Murphy will be looking for considerably more than that, and he plans to challenge the government over the nature of his removal from the role.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and Acting Police Commissioner Martin Dole APM at the Palmerston Police Station on Thursday. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

When the previous Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker retired from the role in 2023, Ms Finocchiaro and the then opposition CLP pursued the Labor government over the quantum and circumstances of the NT Government’s confidential payout.

Mr Murphy’s dismissal followed the release on February 28 of a two-page statement from the Northern Territory ICAC.

In its anonymised report it was critical of a public officer who was part of a recruitment panel that appointed a close friend to a senior public service role.

The close friend has been reported widely by other outlets as Assistant Commissioner Peter Kennon.

Mr Kennon is not accused of any wrongdoing, and it is not asserted that he was not suitably qualified for the job.

The report’s summary said the public officer (Murphy) engaged in “unsatisfactory conduct, relating to the mismanagement of a conflict of interest”.

“I found that the conduct involved negligence and incompetence. The conduct did result in a substantial detriment to the public interest and was also an inappropriate use of public resources in the recruitment process,” the report said.

Former Police Commissioner Michael Murphy. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mrs Finocchiaro was drawn into the brewing storm surrounding the report when she cited the ICAC Act to explain why she could not reveal the identity of the public officer.

Mr Murphy issued a statement on March 6 identifying himself as the public officer.

NT Police Association head Nathan Finn issued a statement hours later questioning the commissioner’s “integrity and ability to remain” in the job.

Within 24-hours, Mrs Finocchiaro announced Mr Murphy had been placed on leave pending a termination process, and that Deputy Commissioner Martin Dole had been appointed acting commissioner.

It later emerged Mr Dole had been on the same interview panel as Mr Murphy and had been listed as a referee for more than one applicant, although he did not provide any references himself and was not accused of any wrongdoing.

Despite Acting Commissioner Dole rejecting calls for an inquiry into recruitment on Monday, Mrs Finocchiaro on Wednesday announced she had appointed former Tasmanian judge Alan Blow to lead an independent investigation, to be conducted in conjunction with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment.

The investigation will look into activities within the police force since August 2023, when Mr Murphy was appointed commissioner to replace Jamie Chalker.

Originally published as Fmr Police Commissioner Michael Murphy recruits Josh Bornstein to represent him against NTG