§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the law to make robbery or breaking the law, where death results from such action or is a contributory cause, chargeable on the grounds of manslaughter or murder.
§ Mr. MayhewNo. If someone with intent does an act that is unlawful and dangerous, and death results, he is already chargeable with manslaughter; and in certain circumstances—if he intended to kill or cause grievous bodily harm, for example—with murder.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in order to combat crime in general and attacks upon persons in particular, he will introduce legislation to clarify the law so that a person who attacks someone for the purpose of robbery or burglary shall be guilty of murder if the person so attacked subsequently dies irrespective of whether the medical cause of death is heart failure, shock, and so on.
§ Mr. MayhewNo. We do not consider that the law requires clarification for this purpose.