NT Police: Independent inquiry into senior police recruitments announced by Lia Finocchiaro

Recent senior police recruitments, including the Acting Commissioner’s will be placed under the microscope as part of an independent inquiry.

Drone shots of Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy with officers from NT Police in February 2025. Picture: NT Police

The Northern Territory Government has appointed a former Supreme Court judge and its own Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment to investigate recent senior police appointments.

Headed by former Chief Justice of the Tasmanian Supreme Court Alan Blow, the Northern Territory Government moved to end suspicion and speculation around senior NT Police leadership.

It comes almost a week after former NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy revealed he was the senior public officer at the centre of an ICAC report which found he had acted improperly in the recruitment process in which a friend of his was given a plum job in the force.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and NT's acting police commissioner Martin Dole at Wednesday’s media conference in Palmerston Police Station. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

It also followed the revelation that Mr Murphy’s replacement in the job, Acting Commissioner Martin Dole, had participated in the same recruitment process.

On March 10 Mr Dole himself ruled out an inquiry into police recruitment.

Speaking at Palmerston Police Station on Wednesday, Mrs Finocchiaro said the inquiry was called to deliver certainty to serving police officers.

“This comes off the back of what has been a tumultuous period in policing over the last decade,” Mrs Finocchiaro said.

“We’ve taken strong steps to deliver certainty by commencing a process of termination for Police Commissioner Michael Murphy and of course, Deputy Commissioner Martin Dole … has stood up into that role of acting commissioner in that intervening period.

“There has been much public debate around additional recruitment processes since Mr Murphy became police commissioner dating back to August 2023, and my great priority is to make sure that our police force can move forward as we continue to focus on community safety as our number one priority.

Justice Alan Blow will head a police appointments inquiry.

“We know that our police need to be supported and they need to have confidence in the system … so today I am announcing that we have engaged Justice Blow … to undertake an independent inquiry, in conjunction with OCPE to look at the promotions that have taken place since August 2023, from rank of superintendent and above – to clear the air on this issue once and for all.

“We need this process to be undertaken so that everyone can move forward. It’s been a very troubling period and what I can’t have is uncertainty in a police force who has a very big and important job to do.”

She said Justice Blow began work on Wednesday with briefings by the OCPE and that Acting Commissioner Dole fully supported – and would co-operate with the inquiry.

“What it will look into is the processes for those recruitments and then whether or not the processes were on merit,” she said.

NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo. Picture: Fia Walsh.

She said a report would be prepared and later tabled in parliament in order to “put to bed” any uncertainty.

Mrs Finocchiaro didn’t put a time on the inquiry, saying it “would run its course” for as long as it takes.

She would not rule out Acting Commissioner Dole being replaced if the report identified inappropriate behaviour by him.

Opposition Leader Selena Uibo welcomed the inquiry, and called for full transparency with the outcome.

“Once again, the Chief Minister has only acted after public pressure, rather than taking any real initiative,” she said.

“It’s been nearly two weeks of no action, no certainty and no security for our frontline police and for Territorians.

“The Territory Labor Opposition supports an independent inquiry to restore confidence in police leadership. After dithering for so long, the Chief Minister needs to move very quickly to get this inquiry underway and she needs to assure Territorians that the full report will be made public.”

Released on February 28, the Operation Apollo report was anonymised, and on March 6 Mr Murphy publicly admitted he had been involved in enabling the employment of a close friend, for whom he had provided a reference and the candidate’s previous job application.

On March 8, Mrs Finocchiaro revealed the process of terminating Mr Murphy’s position was underway. 

The terms of reference for the inquiry will include:

> Examine recruitment processes relating to appointment of officers in the NT Police Force since August 2023, to the rank of Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Commander and Superintendent, having consideration of:

> Whether panel processes were conducted in line with the NT Police recruitment standards and the General Order: Code of Conduct and Ethics;

> Whether evidence that merit to undertake the role as required under s15A of the Police Administration Act has been demonstrated by the successful candidate in each process, and;

> Determine what remedial action may be required on the above and whether there are other recruitment matters outside of these Terms of Reference that may require remedy or further investigation and recommend the course of action to pursue or respond to them.

Originally published as NT Police: Independent inquiry into senior police recruitments announced by Lia Finocchiaro