The Hon. Marie-Clare Boothby, Attorney-General (NT), Media Release, 3 February 2026
New legislation to be introduced this week will amend the Sentencing Act 1995 to impose a life sentence with a mandatory minimum non-parole period of 25 years’ imprisonment for the murder of a current or former partner.
Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said the reform reflects the scale of harm caused by domestic and family violence in the Territory – particularly for Aboriginal women who comprise 89 per cent of all DV victims and who are 7 times more likely to die. She also slammed Labor for their failure to hold offenders to account with stronger sentencing laws.
“The Northern Territory has the highest rates of domestic and family violence in the country,” Minister Boothby said. “Labor’s response to the crisis has been utterly abysmal; in fact, the issue only got worse on their watch.”
“They held inquiry after inquiry, and paid lip-service to victims, while refusing to make the tough calls to protect women and hold offenders to account.”
“This year marks 10 years since we saw a woman murdered in broad daylight in a park in Nightcliff by her partner. His sentence? 3 years in jail. It’s not good enough.”
“The Territory’s weak sentencing laws risk undermining the hard work of police. Meanwhile, the crisis of women losing their lives in acts of domestic violence remains exhaustive, unforgivable, and avoidable. It’s time our sentencing laws reflect that.”
“Our new legislation is a real deterrent. If you take your partner’s life in the Territory, you will spend the rest of yours in prison. There will be no discounts, no excuses, and no second chances.”
“I won’t apologise for making the tough decisions we need to make. We’re putting an end to the continuous failures of previous governments, and we’re taking concrete steps to reduce the devastating impact of domestic violence on women, particularly Aboriginal women, their families, and our communities.”
“In 2026, we will continue to deliver real consequences for offenders, certainty for victims, and security for women in the Territory.”
