John Beres faced Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link from prison on Friday.
He is charged with the murder of his wife Yvonne, who was found dead at a property in Langwarrin, southeast of Melbourne, on December 26, 2024.
Police previously alleged the 59-year-old woman was stabbed at a home on Wood Duck Court.
Emergency services declared Ms Beres dead at the scene, after arriving at the address about 6.30am.
Defence lawyer Alana Reader on Friday said Beres was seeking to fast-track his case to the Supreme Court and enter a plea of not guilty to the murder.
Additionally, she said she had notified prosecutors that Beres' legal team is obtaining a mental impairment report.
"So mental impairment is to be relied upon?" magistrate Gerard Lethbridge asked.
"Potentially yes," Ms Reader replied.
A person can be found not guilty of an offence such as murder by way of mental impairment, if it is proven they had a mental illness, disability or brain damage that impaired their judgment during the offending.
The magistrate asked Beres how he pleaded to the charge of murder.
"Not guilty," he said.
Several members of the Beres family watched the short hearing remotely online.
Beres will next face the Supreme Court in Melbourne for a directions hearing on September 1.
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