Trial Continues...Widow Claims Assisted Suicide, Prosecutor Says Murder

By Harriet Alexander 

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In the months before the death of Walcha sheep grazier Mathew John Dunbar in August 2017, the internet history of his partner suggested an expanding interest in ways to take a life.

In February, Natasha Beth Darcy allegedly researched poisonous spiders, fungi and snakes. By March, she was running searches on epidurals, spinal taps and the number of tablets required to be taken to execute a suicide. In June, she allegedly typed into a search engine: “how to commit murder”.

Natasha Beth Darcy, 46, was the sole beneficiary of Mr Dunbar’s estate, which included Pandora, a 1200-acre property on Thunderbolts Way in northern NSW valued at $3.5 million. She has pleaded not guilty to his murder.

Graham Morant Red Flag to Oppose Assisted Suicide Legalization

By Richard Egan.
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In a unanimous decision by three judges of the Queensland Court of Appeal handed down in Brisbane on 19 June 2020 in the case of R v Morant [2020] QCA 135, Graham Morant’s appeal against his conviction for aiding the suicide of his wife was rejected on all four grounds of appeal and the sentence of 10 years imprisonment was upheld as fair.

Morant was convicted on two counts under s311 of the Queensland Criminal Code. The first was that he had counselled Ms Morant to kill herself and thereby induced her to do so. The second was that he had aided her in killing herself.

Morant Loses Appeal

By Lydia Lynch, Brisbane Times

A Queensland man sentenced to 10 years in prison for helping his wife to kill herself for a $1.4 million life insurance payout has lost his appeal.

The ruling comes after emails between euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke and the man's wife were discovered following his conviction.

Graham Robert Morant (pictured here) was aged 69 when he was convicted of persuading his wife to end her life in November 2014.

Queensland Euthanasia Bill Deferred

Palaszczuk

Courtesy of Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition:

ABC News Australia, state political reporter, Josh Bavas, reported that the Queensland Australia euthanasia bill will be deferred until after the October 31, 2020 election. Bavas [said]:

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament this morning the legislation would instead be referred to the Queensland Law Reform Commission for consideration, with an expectation it would respond after the October state election. 

If Assisted Dying Is a Right, Must it Be Made Available to Everyone?

Queensland Parliament

By Margaret Dore, Esq.

A Queensland Parliamentary Committee has made recommendations concerning voluntary assisted dying or VAD, meaning euthanasia and assisted suicide.[1]

Of special interest is the Committee's Recommendation 17, referring to "rights" of the patients to access VAD. The recommendation states:

The committee recommends that any voluntary assisted dying scheme in Queensland provides health practitioners who may have a conscientious objection to participating in voluntary assisted dying to opt not to participate, provided that the rights of the patients to access the scheme are also protected.  (Emphasis added).[2]