New South Wales proposes mandatory life sentences for partner murders — ABC News Australia
In the Australian state of New South Wales, independent Orange MP Phil Donato has proposed introducing mandatory life imprisonment for certain domestic violence-related murders. The initiative concerns cases in which a person was killed by their current or former partner while a domestic violence protection order was in place, or if the accused was on bail in a domestic violence case.
As ABC News Australia reports, Donato introduced a motion in the state parliament to prepare the Crimes Amendment (Mandatory Life Sentences) Bill 2026. The proposed provisions would also apply to cases in which the victim is a child under the age of 18.
Punishment and current rules
The MP said tougher penalties should demonstrate the unacceptability of partner killings in domestic violence situations. Donato expressed hope that parliamentary debate on the proposed legislative changes would take place before the end of the year.
The initiative is being prepared following the sentencing of Daniel Billings, the former partner of Molly Ticehurst from Forbes, who was killed in April 2024. The court sentenced Billings to 35 years in prison, reducing the term to 28 years due to his guilty plea. His non-parole period is 20 years; taking into account time already spent in custody, he may be released in 18 years.
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After Ticehurst's murder, the New South Wales government had already passed changes making it more difficult for defendants in domestic violence cases to obtain bail. A 25-year standard non-parole period for the murder of a current or former partner was also established. However, the final sentence is determined by a judge, who may, among other things, reduce the term in the event of an early guilty plea.
Lawyer's objections
A spokesperson for state Attorney-General Michael Daley noted that life imprisonment is already the maximum penalty for murder. According to the spokesperson, the reforms also strengthened rules on stalking, bail and electronic monitoring of people released on bail.
David Heilpern, dean of the law faculty at Southern Cross University, who worked as a local magistrate for 22 years, opposed mandatory life sentences. He said there is no evidence that moving from a possible life term to mandatory life imprisonment reduces violence. In his view, attention should also be paid to crisis housing for victims, programmes for perpetrators and education on consent and violence.
