NT facing constitutional crisis

AS the NT leadership stand-off continues, legal experts are examining the powers the Territory's Administrator has to force a resolution.

THREE months into the job, Northern Territory Administrator John Hardy finds himself confronted by a constitutional crisis.

EFFECTIVELY the governor of the NT, Mr Hardy may be called upon to resolve the standoff between Chief Minister Adam Giles, who insists he remains leader, and Willem Westra van Holthe, who declared himself head of the Country Liberals government after a party-room coup late on Monday night.