Afterword: Options for the reform of provocation, automatism and mental impairment

Abstract

This article considers some of the options for restricting the ambit of claims of men who kill their estranged partners. It provides an overview of the arguments set out in the preceding articles and examines the recent recommendations by the Victorian Law Reform Commission in relation to abolishing the defence of provocation and reforming the law relating to automatism and the defence of mental impairment. It is argued that from a normative perspective, the law should recognise that individuals ought to take appropriate steps to maintain selfcontrol, particularly in situations where a relationship has broken down.