ACT author Robert Macklin dies peacefully under assisted dying law
Robert Macklin, an 84-year-old author, died under the ACT's voluntary assisted dying law, with family and music present.
Robert Macklin had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that made breathing and movement increasingly difficult. When the time came that he could no longer make it to the bathroom unaided, he knew it was time.
Under the ACT's voluntary assisted dying process, a doctor prescribed a potion to drink, which was dispensed by a government pharmacist and administered by a nurse at his home with a doctor present. The bitter taste was softened with sherry served in cut-glass glasses.
His widow Wendy said he just drank it quickly, died five minutes later, and that he died painlessly. His son Ben called it a privilege to be there at that final moment.
The family had discussed how they would end their lives if they became unbearable long before the law existed.
- 84
- Macklin's age
- More than 30
- Books written
- 5 minutes
- Time from drinking to death
- His home in Weston
- Location
Why it mattersIt provides a real-world example of how voluntary assisted dying actually works in practice and how families experience it, as the ACT marks its first year under the law.
AustraliaThe ACT legalised voluntary assisted dying in 2025, and Macklin's death shows how the law functions for people facing terminal illness and unbearable suffering.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
