At 6:47pm on November 13, 2019, Northern Territory Police charged one of their own with murder.

Teenager Kumanjayi Walker was dead, and a decorated police officer Constable Zachary Rolfe was accused of being criminally responsible.

By 9:30pm the same evening Constable Rolfe was charged, the young constable was granted bail in what police called an "out-of-session local court hearing".

The Director of Public Prosecutions was not called, nor present, and a NT Police spokesperson confirmed there was no independent representation of the community's interests, only Constable Rolfe's solicitor and a policeman.

On the other end of the phone was John Birch, a judge on the bench in the Alice Springs Local Court.

Police confirmed a transcript of the phone call does exist, but so far, have not released it.

Judge Birch made the decision during that phone call to grant bail immediately, rather than remanding him in the watch house overnight, so the bail application could be heard in open court the following morning.

Yuendumu is a three-hour drive from Alice Springs, with a stretch of the journey on unsealed road. ( ABC News: Hamish Harty )

'Very unusual in the extreme'

Marty Aust, president of the NT Criminal Lawyers Association, said that chain of events surprised many in the local legal fraternity.

"It's very unusual in the extreme that a homicide charge would be the subject of a successful bail application via telephone, given the presumption is against bail," Mr Aust said.

"In those circumstances, the law states bail must be refused unless the defendant can provide a basis that bail ought not be refused.

"And we don't know what that evidence or that material was that gave rise to overcoming the presumption [against bail]."

Mr Aust said he did not believe bail had ever been granted on a charge of murder in similar circumstances.

"In terms of a phone bail application for an offence where the presumption is against bail, particularly murder, I am not aware of a grant of bail in those circumstances from the research that I've done — I can't find that having occurred before," he said.

Mr Aust said he did not believe bail had ever been granted on a charge of murder in similar circumstances. ( ABC News: Bridget Judd )

The grounds on which bail was granted is still not known to the public, and that was something Mr Aust said had created a perception of secrecy and eroded public trust.

"Ordinarily in cases where there is media and public interest, or small communities which are acutely affected or concerned, open courts and transparency is a good way to ensure that justice is seen to be done," Mr Aust said.

The ABC applied to the Northern Territory Local Courts for a copy of Constable Rolfe's bail conditions.

Bail conditions are usually read in open court, however, Judge Birch declined the request on the grounds publishing them was "not in the public interest".

Following submissions from the ABC, Judge Birch released a redacted copy of the conditions which include:

Not allowed to leave Australia and to surrender passport

Not allowed to leave Australia and to surrender passport Report to a Canberra police station each Wednesday

Report to a Canberra police station each Wednesday Not to have contact with certain witnesses

Not to have contact with certain witnesses Pay $20,000 self-surety with no cash deposit

Pay $20,000 self-surety with no cash deposit Provide a $20,000 guarantor

Anger in legal process after bail hearing

In Yuendumu, elder Ned Hargreaves said there was a perception within the community that a decision like this would never have been made for the benefit of an Aboriginal man.

According to Mr Hargreaves, granting bail to Constable Rolfe made many in the community lose faith in the legal proceedings. ( ABC News: Katrina Beavan )

"We are not happy with the bail decision," Mr Hargreaves said.

"If Indigenous people did something like this, he would not have a chance to get a bail, to go live with his family."

According to Mr Hargreaves, granting bail to Constable Rolfe made many in the community lose faith in the legal proceedings.

"Yapa [Warlpiri people], we don't have that chance. That is not acceptable at all," Mr Hargreaves said.

DPP did not appeal against decision

The DPP declined every request made by the ABC to answer any questions in relation to the granting of bail.

The DPP did not apply to the Supreme Court to oppose and rescind bail.

The DPP also declined to say why it did not appeal against Constable Rolfe's grant of bail.

Constable Rolfe remains on bail in Canberra and is due to appear in Alice Springs Local Court on April 9, 2020 for a preliminary examination.

His legal team has said he intends to plead not guilty.