14 DAY TRIAL // “Thou shalt not kill” is one of the ten commandments whose violation generates the most controversy in terms of the punishment that should be applied. The situation in Britain right now is illustrative of this, as a new law that will help wives escape a murder charge, while also abolishing jealousy as good reason for a killer husband, is to be published today, much to the delight, or complete lack thereof, of various groups.
With the new law, husbands who kill their cheating wives and then claim they had been “provoked” will no longer avoid a mandatory life murder sentence by going to trial for manslaughter. Oppositely, women who kill their husbands can fall under manslaughter, if they manage to prove they lived in fear for their lives and/or were victims of long-term abuse, the British media informs.
Dubbed “the most sweeping changes to murder laws in 50 years,” the new law is already creating waves amongst various groups. While some are hailing it as the much expected measure to prevent criminals from avoiding the long arm of the law by blaming their crime on the victim (men) and to further protect the silent sufferers (women), others are saying that it’s nothing but downright discrimination.
“The Government is making some people more equal than others before the law. It seems some lives are worth more than others.” says Robert Whelan from Civitas, as quoted by the Daily Mail. Patricia Morgan, researcher and author on families and the law, agrees, “They are differentiating between victims. They are saying some groups have excuses because they fall into a different category. It seems that women have excuses and men don’t.”
With the new law, the “seriously wronged” defense will also become a possibility, as controversial as it is too, because a woman will be allowed to basically walk away free if she can demonstrate she was just “responding to a slow burn of abuse.” “Beneficiaries of this change may include those who strike out after long and bitter disputes with neighbors, or victims of a serious crime - such as rape - who are taunted at a later date by the attacker.” the Mail notes, adding that this only comes to make the situation all the more explosive.