§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received calling for a review of the Homicide Act 1957 and the criminal justice system with regard to reforming the definition of provocation to include prolonged domestic violence; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanWe have received many letters on this subject from parliamentary colleagues and from members of the public.
The Government's position is set out in our response to the recent Report of the Home Affairs Select Committee on Domestic Violence (Cm 2269), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The Government do not accept that the case has been made for a change in the law. In our view, 656W the present law on provocation reflects a proper balance between a reluctance on the one hand to exonerate pre-meditated revenge killing and a desire on the other to leave a judgment on the facts of the individual case to the jury. Nevertheless, the law in this area is kept under careful review.