Zachary Rolfe murder trial: what the case is about and what to expect when it begins

On 9 November 2019, Kumanjayi Walker, a 19-year-old Aboriginal man, was shot dead at his family home in a remote community north-west of Alice Springs, where police officers had gone to arrest him.

Prosecutors allege that Rolfe and another officer sought to arrest Walker at his home in Yuendumu in relation to an outstanding warrant. Prosecutors allege that Walker was shot in the house as Rolfe attempted to arrest him.

Rolfe also faces alternate charges of manslaughter or engaging in a violent act causing death. The police officer has pleaded not guilty, and was granted bail soon after the shooting.

The main delays have been caused by the pandemic, the complexity of the case, and legal arguments regarding the evidence or defences that can be used in the trial.

The first significant delay occurred in April 2020, when the case was postponed for 10 weeks, partly because essential reports had been delayed by Covid-19 lockdowns and partly because of the size of the brief of evidence.

There have been other delays caused by Covid, which have been particularly disruptive as people central to the case, including lawyers, are based outside the territory.

Among the legal arguments that have contributed to the delay has been wrangling over the location of the trial, and a contest over possible defences Rolfe could rely on. That argument meant his trial could not start in August 2021 as planned, and it eventually went to the high court.