Former Northern Territory Police Officer, Zachary Rolfe is legally required to attend the Coronial Inquest into deadly taking pictures of Indigenous teenager Kumanjayi Walker when it resumes subsequent week, regardless of his makes an attempt to assert he shouldn’t need to attend as a result of the coroner is biased in opposition to him and the proof he will likely be required to offer is topic to client authorized privilege.
The inquest, which is shaping as much as be the most costly within the Northern Territory, has been marred by delays and distractions, numerous which have centred round whether or not Zachary Rolfe and one other police officer have a authorized proper to refuse to supply proof.
Rolfe Should attend and provides proof
The Coroner’s Court, led by Coroner Elisabeth Armitage, beforehand decided that witnesses couldn’t decline to reply questions by invoking the privilege, which Mr Rolfe did when he first appeared on the inquest.
Her ruling was initially upheld by the Northern Territory Supreme Court, and once more earlier this yr within the state’s highest court, the Court of Attraction.
Dropping his attraction in opposition to a directive to offer proof means Mr Rolfe may be compelled to reply a coroner’s questions on his killing 19-year previous Kumanjayi Walker in Alice Springs on 9 November 2019.
Coroner can ask a broad vary of questions
The Coroner has energy to ask questions a couple of broad vary of issues, together with Mr Rolfe’s racist textual content messages, his misuse of body-worn cameras, different incidents involving the usage of extreme drive, in addition to an allegedly falsified police recruitment software – all of which have been extensively reported by the media for the reason that authentic trial.
No energy to independently convey felony costs
Whereas the Coronial Inquest can suggest felony costs be thought-about in opposition to a person after reviewing and contemplating all of the proof and presenting its ultimate report and proposals, the Division of Public Prosecutions makes any ultimate determination concerning prosecution.
Precept of double-jeopardy
It’s necessary to notice that Zachary Rolfe has been discovered not responsible, and he can’t be tried for the homicide of Kumanjayi Walker twice, besides in extraordinarily restricted circumstances the place contemporary and compelling proof involves gentle.
This is named the precept of double jeopardy which is based on the notion that an individual who has been put by way of the ordeal of a felony prosecution and acquitted ought to be capable of transfer ahead along with his or her life with out the specter of additional prosecution.
This additionally means Mr Rolfe can confidently take part within the Coronial Inquest with little to no concern of being prosecuted a second time.
Acquitted of homicide
Zachary Rolfe was acquitted of homicide, manslaughter and fascinating in a violent act inflicting the demise of Kumanjayi Walker after a Supreme Court trial in 2022.
He was seen having a beer at a Seaside Membership in Bali with former SAS Soldier Ben Roberts-Smith in September in a photograph posted to social media.
The photograph was posted on the non-public account of a serving Queensland Police Officer however discovered its means into the mainstream.
The Queensland Police mentioned it could instigate an investigation into whether or not the submit breached QPS tips – the result of that inside investigation isn’t recognized. And it’s not clear whether or not Mr Rolfe continues to be abroad.
Again right here in Australia over the previous few months, Zachary Rolfe’s authorized workforce have been persevering with their bid for him to not have to seem on the Coronial Inquest. This week a suppression order referring to allegations of bias made by Zachary Rolfe, asking Coroner Elisabeth Armitage to step down from her position within the Kumanjayi Walker inquest, has been lifted.
Request for the coroner to step apart
Within the info now publicly out there, Mr Rolfe has argued that the impartiality of the inquest has been compromised by Ms Armitage collaborating in Indigenous ceremonies in Yuendumu.
Nevertheless, others, together with the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Company (NAAJA) have defended Ms Armitage’s determination to have her face painted by Mr Walker’s mom whereas at Yuendumu, and says the act was one among “fundamental courtesy and respect.”
Importantly, the Coroner’s Court has already heard the group conferences and conversations which occurred in Yuendumu wouldn’t be a part of the formal proof utilized by the coroner to find out findings and proposals.
Nevertheless, Mr Rolfe’s authorized workforce has urged that the inquest’s two-day go to to Yuendumu throughout proceedings final yr created a notion of bias in opposition to Mr Rolfe.
Ms Armitage is reported to be contemplating the request by Mr Rolfe to recuse herself, and can decide someday inside the subsequent week.
Nevertheless, on condition that he has been compelled to offer proof, and his appeals in opposition to that call have failed, he’s required to take action. Not showing may end up in his arrest.
Mr Rolfe has additionally accused Ms Armitage of colluding with police to have him dismissed from the drive. He’s disputing his dismissal from the NT Police Drive earlier this yr, which occurred after he printed a prolonged assertion criticising the previous police commissioner, the coroner, and the continuing inquest.
It’s been a protracted street to discovering solutions for Kumanjayi Walker’s family and group. He was fatally shot 3 times in 2019, throughout a bungled arrest and subsequent judicial processes had been hampered by pandemic lockdowns.
Police report scathing of “militarised policing”
Earlier this yr, the NT Police lastly launched its report into Kumanjayi Walker’s demise.
In it, NT police commander, David Proctor was scathing of the tradition of the NT police drive on the time of Kumanjayi Walker’s demise, mentioning the “militarisation” of policing within the NT.
Within the decade to Might 2020, he mentioned, 192 of the 718 NTPOL recruits – about 26.4% – had been former ADF personnel.
“It is a huge over-representation of former army members recruited to police the Northern Territory who don’t proportionally characterize the populace of the group they serve,” Proctor wrote.
