Top NT cop Jamie Chalker goes to court to prevent his sacking

Police commissioner Jamie Chalker has taken the Northern Territory government to the ­Supreme Court in an attempt to halt his dismissal.

NT police commissioner Jamie Chalker. Picture: Liam Mendes

Police commissioner Jamie Chalker has taken the Northern Territory government to the ­Supreme Court in an attempt to halt his dismissal, claiming “false assertions” had been made that he had asked the army to be deployed in Alice Springs.

Mr Chalker is also seeking orders from the court that the chief minister and police minister are not involved in decision-making processes with regard to his dismissal, and that the NT government does not have the power to dismiss him.

On March 31, the government told Mr Chalker it had lost confidence in him amid an escalation of youth crime and alcohol-­related violence in the NT.

He has engaged Sydney silk Arthur Moses SC and defamation lawyer Rebekah Giles in a bid to retain his job.

According to the ABC, Mr Moses appeared before judge John Reeves and told the court on Monday a letter to Mr Chalker made four allegations, including he had asked for the Australian Defence Force to be deployed to Alice Springs. “We now know that was false … there’s an assertion … they might have meant to refer to the Australian Federal Police,” Mr Moses said.

In a motion filed in the NT Supreme Court on Friday, Mr Chalker’s lawyers are reported to have asked the court to order Chief Minister Natasha Fyles to provide details about “allegations made by her” in a letter to Mr Chalker in late March.

Mr Chalker is asking that the court allow him to respond to the allegations prior to a decision being made over his position as police commissioner.

He is seeking an order that the government does not have the authority to dismiss him and he is entitled to “procedural fairness and natural justice”.

The matter will return to court at a later date.