Either way it is murder most foul

MURDER, by definition, means to kill a person unlawfully and with malice aforethought. Conversely, manslaughter means killing without either malice or premeditation.

Traditionally, in the eyes of the law, these crimes have always been regarded as separate and distinct issues. For obvious reasons, they bear penalties of varying severity; murder carries a mandatory life sentence at present.

Because of their gravity, any proposal to abolish the distinction between these acts warrants serious in-depth analysis.