Provocation to go

The Herald reports:

Accused killers will no longer be able to rely on the defence that they were provoked.

The partial defence of provocation will be abolished, Prime Minister John Key announced this afternoon.

Cabinet accepted Justice Minister Simon Power’s recommendation on the issue and a bill has been drafted to be introduced into Parliament this week.

There are at least 101 votes out of 122 to abolish it, so it will be gone by the end of the year.

I support this, but do hope the select committee especially look at whether there is enough flexibility around sentencing to allow issues of provocation to be taken into account for the sentence.