Croatia is expected to join the EU in July 2013. This Bill would allow the UK to ratify Croatia’s accession treaty and would also cover the Protocol to the Lisbon Treaty put forward by the Irish Government.

Croatia is expected to join the EU in July 2013. This Bill would allow the UK to ratify Croatia’s accession treaty and would also cover the Protocol to the Lisbon Treaty put forward by the Irish Government.

Coroners and Justice Bill. Lords report stage second day.

Coroners and Justice Bill. Lords report stage second day.

66: After Clause 55, insert the following new Clause— "Exceptions to offence of assisting suicide Notwithstanding sections 53, 54 and 55, no offence shall have been committed if assistance is given to a person to commit suicide who is suffering from a confirmed, incurable and disabling illness which prevents them...

66: After Clause 55, insert the following new Clause— "Exceptions to offence of assisting suicide Notwithstanding sections 53, 54 and 55, no offence shall have been committed if assistance is given to a person to commit suicide who is suffering from a confirmed, incurable and disabling illness which prevents them...

66A: Before Clause 64, insert the following new Clause— "Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (1) The International Criminal Court Act 2001 is amended as follows. (2) In sections 53 and 60 (trial and punishment of main offences), after subsection (6) add— "(7) Subsections (5) and (6) are subject...

66A: Before Clause 64, insert the following new Clause— "Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (1) The International Criminal Court Act 2001 is amended as follows. (2) In sections 53 and 60 (trial and punishment of main offences), after subsection (6) add— "(7) Subsections (5) and (6) are subject...

My Lords, looking at the amendment, I am struck by its dismal wording. It states, ""if assistance is given to a person to commit suicide who is suffering from a confirmed, incurable and disabling illness which prevents them from carrying through their own wish to bring their life to a...

My Lords, looking at the amendment, I am struck by its dismal wording. It states, ""if assistance is given to a person to commit suicide who is suffering from a confirmed, incurable and disabling illness which prevents them from carrying through their own wish to bring their life to a...

My Lords, Amendments 57, 58 and 59 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, deal with the important question of developmental immaturity in the context of the diminished responsibility partial defence to murder. We remain unpersuaded of the need for the amendments, and I will do...

My Lords, Amendments 57, 58 and 59 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, deal with the important question of developmental immaturity in the context of the diminished responsibility partial defence to murder. We remain unpersuaded of the need for the amendments, and I will do...

My Lords, I have my name attached to the amendments, and I strongly support them. It is hard to follow the eloquent and pithy contribution from my noble friend, with all her experience in psychiatric matters. As vice-chair of the All-Party Group for Children and Young People in Care and...

My Lords, I have my name attached to the amendments, and I strongly support them. It is hard to follow the eloquent and pithy contribution from my noble friend, with all her experience in psychiatric matters. As vice-chair of the All-Party Group for Children and Young People in Care and...

My Lords, I think we all feel horror at gangland killings by young people, but one has to put them to one side when discussing this amendment; one also has to remember that children of 10 are convicted of murder. Perhaps some children of that age should be convicted of...

My Lords, I think we all feel horror at gangland killings by young people, but one has to put them to one side when discussing this amendment; one also has to remember that children of 10 are convicted of murder. Perhaps some children of that age should be convicted of...

I am afraid I do not. I have a great deal of sympathy with the argument that is being adduced, but in my view the law has to be precise. The term "developmental immaturity" has no precedent, is not precise and ought to be rejected. The arguments that have been...

I am afraid I do not. I have a great deal of sympathy with the argument that is being adduced, but in my view the law has to be precise. The term "developmental immaturity" has no precedent, is not precise and ought to be rejected. The arguments that have been...

My Lords, my name is attached to this amendment. I remind your Lordships of what I said on the previous amendment: nothing could be more imprecise than the words that are used in the proposed Clause 48 on provocation, or indeed more imprecise than the concept of provocation in the...

My Lords, my name is attached to this amendment. I remind your Lordships of what I said on the previous amendment: nothing could be more imprecise than the words that are used in the proposed Clause 48 on provocation, or indeed more imprecise than the concept of provocation in the...

My Lords, I think the noble Earl has misunderstood.

My Lords, I think the noble Earl has misunderstood.

My Lords, I have misunderstood; I apologise and withdraw what I said.

My Lords, I have misunderstood; I apologise and withdraw what I said.

My Lords, I agree with the noble Earl: it is quite difficult to get one’s head around exactly what this amendment seeks to do. I suppose I am trying to emphasise that there should still be a high bar to overcome before the defence could be successfully deployed. Even if...

My Lords, I agree with the noble Earl: it is quite difficult to get one’s head around exactly what this amendment seeks to do. I suppose I am trying to emphasise that there should still be a high bar to overcome before the defence could be successfully deployed. Even if...

My Lords, I support this amendment. The problem is to do with so-called normal children. The noble Lord has already talked about the partial defence that is available to the mentally handicapped adult who is intellectually functioning, or who may have a developmental delay in other emotional areas as a...

My Lords, I support this amendment. The problem is to do with so-called normal children. The noble Lord has already talked about the partial defence that is available to the mentally handicapped adult who is intellectually functioning, or who may have a developmental delay in other emotional areas as a...

My Lords, I beg the noble Lord’s pardon, but are the Government themselves not introducing in this clause the defence of developmental immaturity?

My Lords, I beg the noble Lord’s pardon, but are the Government themselves not introducing in this clause the defence of developmental immaturity?

I am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord. I think that he will find that it is the jury that finds for diminished responsibility as well. The judge recommends, but it is for the jury to find. It is a different verdict.

I am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord. I think that he will find that it is the jury that finds for diminished responsibility as well. The judge recommends, but it is for the jury to find. It is a different verdict.

I am sorry also to interrupt the noble Lord to make a brief point. Does he accept that, in the case of the defence of provocation, which is plainly an extenuating circumstance, it is the jury that now takes the decision as to whether there has been sufficient justification? The...

I am sorry also to interrupt the noble Lord to make a brief point. Does he accept that, in the case of the defence of provocation, which is plainly an extenuating circumstance, it is the jury that now takes the decision as to whether there has been sufficient justification? The...

Yes, I accept what the noble Lord says and, so far as the noble Baroness is concerned, we are about to come to a series of extended debates on developmental immaturity, diminished responsibility, gross provocation, sexual infidelity, proximity of qualifying triggers et cetera. These are issues that we are going...

Yes, I accept what the noble Lord says and, so far as the noble Baroness is concerned, we are about to come to a series of extended debates on developmental immaturity, diminished responsibility, gross provocation, sexual infidelity, proximity of qualifying triggers et cetera. These are issues that we are going...

Do I understand that the noble Lord is arguing that what I propose is fine? Would he support the proposal put forward by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick?

Do I understand that the noble Lord is arguing that what I propose is fine? Would he support the proposal put forward by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick?

All I am saying at this stage is that the noble Lord is right to point out the difficulty of understanding what "reasonable" means in these circumstances. How would the conflict that the noble Lord and I have identified be resolved? Would we see inconsistencies in verdicts emerge in different...

All I am saying at this stage is that the noble Lord is right to point out the difficulty of understanding what "reasonable" means in these circumstances. How would the conflict that the noble Lord and I have identified be resolved? Would we see inconsistencies in verdicts emerge in different...