HC Deb 13 March 2003 vol 401 cc412-3W
20. Linda Gilroy

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the defence of provocation, with particular reference to domestic violence. [102722]

The Solicitor-General

Provocation acts as a partial defence to murder and serves to reduce the offence to manslaughter.

The Home Secretary and the Law Officers together with the Director of Public Prosecutions are currently considering whether there are grounds for a review of the law of provocation and a direction to the Sentencing Advisory Panel.

24. Mr. Kidney

To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service involved the defence of provocation in the last year for which statistics are available. [102726]

The Solicitor-General

Currently the CPS does not record statistics on the number of cases involving the defence of provocation. However, part of the work being carried out by the Law Officers and the DPP in considering whether there are grounds for a review of the law will include monitoring exercise in which CCP's will look at all homicides in their area, particularly those involving the defence of provocation.