HL Deb 19 July 1995 vol 566 c34WA
Lord Gainford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to respond to the report of the Home Affairs Select Committee on the year and a day rule in homicide.

Baroness Blatch

We have today published our response to the report of the Home Affairs Select Committee. A copy of the response has been placed in the Library. We agree with the committee that the year and a day rule should be abolished. This will entail difficult decisions for prosecutors in some cases, and we have decided that the consent of the Attorney-General should be required for a homicide prosecution where either the defendant has previously been convicted of another offence for the injury which resulted in death, or there has been an interval of three years or more between the injury and death.