It should also be pointed out that this has been on the cards for a while:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7140916.stm
The Ministry of Justice has revealed further details of the first major shake-up of murder laws in England and Wales for more than 50 years.
Justice minister Maria Eagle said the government would be consulting legal experts on reforming how certain defences are used in murder trials.
It follows a Law Commission report which urged murder to be reclassified to reflect levels of seriousness.
The Home Office announced plans for a full review of murder in 2004.
'Clear and fair'
Ms Eagle said the government remained committed to retaining the mandatory life sentence for murder but that the review would look at specific aspects of law "to ensure that it protects the public and provides appropriate levels of punishment for those found guilty".
"The law needs to be clear and fair so that people have confidence in the criminal justice system," she said.
"We want to have an open and inclusive debate on the issues before we bring forward firm proposals on how the law should be reformed."