Australia's highest prosecutor is facing explosive allegations of perjury after a parliamentary report accused her of providing false evidence under oath. Sally Dowling, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for New South Wales, was accused of authorising the leaking of confidential information about an Indigenous child's sentencing hearing to a local radio station in 2024. The bombshell report by the NSW upper house inquiry has raised questions over Ms Dowling's integrity and potentially far-reaching implications for her position.
The inquiry, which concluded with a 4-3 vote, found that there was "no genuine public interest" in pitching the story to Radio 2GB, and that it risked identifying the child involved, an offence under NSW law. The committee highlighted that this breach would "most likely constitute a breach of the prosecution guidelines". In response, they have formally recommended that NSW Attorney General Michael Daley consider establishing a formal inquiry with compulsory powers to examine these findings.
Ms Dowling has consistently denied authorising the story pitch, but acknowledged that her office was responsible for it. The inquiry was initially established to investigate protections against identifying children in court proceedings, but largely focused on this incident. District Court Judge Penelope Wass, who presided over the sentencing, submitted a damning 68-page document alleging that Ms Dowling orchestrated the leak, suggesting it was "designed to embarrass and defame me".
Evidence presented to the inquiry included testimony from ODPP media manager Sally Killoran, who described a meeting with Ms Dowling and an external adviser where pitching the story was discussed. Ms Dowling later claimed she did not provide authorisation, but gave false evidence by stating that she only discovered in December 2025 that the story had been pitched by the ODPP.
The committee's majority finding has sparked controversy, with Ms Dowling accusing Judge Wass of holding a "personal grievance" against her and the ODPP. The implications of this report are far-reaching, not just for Ms Dowling but also for the broader UK-Australia relationship, which has been strengthened by recent trade agreements and diplomatic efforts.