The campaign to secure posthumous pardons for
Harry Harbord Morant, Peter Handcock and George Witton has been the subject of debate in the
media, and also in the Australian
Parliament, over recent years. In May, the Commonwealth Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon,
stated that the Australian Government would take no further action on the petition to pardon the three. Their chief advocate,
James Unkles, has indicated his intention to pursue the matter in the UK Courts with the
assistance of Dan Mori. However, irrespective of its outcome, the Morant matter has highlighted the enduring role of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy in Australia's justice system.
