Killers will no longer be able to claim they were provoked into committing their crime under a law change the government is planning.
Cabinet will consider the proposal in the next two to three weeks but Prime Minister John Key has given his approval, making it almost certain to go ahead.
Justice Minister Simon Power, in a speech to the Institute of Policy Studies in Wellington today, unveiled a raft of areas the government was looking at including updating the law around sexual crimes, better protection for children and the partial defence of provocation.
The defence has sparked heated debate after Otago University tutor Clayton Weatherston argued he was provoked into stabbing girlfriend Sophie Elliott stabbed 216 times and was only guilty of manslaughter.
The jury yesterday found him guilty of murder.
Mr Power said the defence "wrongly enables defendants to besmirch the character of victims, and effectively rewards a lack of self-control".
He told reporters: "I think (the defence has) had its time, I think there are other mechanisms on the statute book that deal with some circumstances that may arise".
Once Cabinet gave approval a bill would be drafted.
Mr Key indicated Cabinet would be advancing it.
"It would be fair to say there would be lot of support around the Cabinet table for the move that Simon Power is leading," he said.
Ferdinand Ambach this month successfully used the defence in his trial for killing Auckland man Ronald Brown, 69.
His defence argued that Mr Brown came on strongly to Ambach and might have attempted to rape him, leading Ambach to lose control and beat him with a banjo before ramming the stem down his throat.
Mr Power denied today's announcement was knee-jerk reaction to recent cases saying the work had been going on for some time.
"It was on its own time track, I have been very careful to make no comment on the Weatherston trial or for that matter any other trial."
He would have delayed the speech had a verdict not been delivered.
The Law Commission recommended in 2007 that the defence be removed.
Mr Power said there was already provision in the Crimes Act to consider unjust circumstances and most cases where a fatal attack was provoked could use the self defence argument.
His preference was for judges to be able to take account of each situation when sentencing.
The Labour Party also wants the defence dumped and had put up member's bills to do that.
Victims' families, legal experts and organisations such as Women's Refuge supported the move.
Work was also under way on domestic violence legislation aimed at improving the responsiveness of the Family Court and enhancing the protection of children.
Areas being looked at included protection orders and the wrongful removal of children from New Zealand.
Mr Power said he wanted to ensure that child victims were treated the same as adults.
"I want to see that properly calibrated, because at the moment I would need to be convinced that was the case."
Mr Power has also asked the Law Commission to look at how sexual violence was dealt with.
He is considering reforms such as introducing a positive definition of consent; someone would have to say "yes" rather than a defendant being able to argue they did not say "no".
Evidence about the complainant's previous sexual relationships would be inadmissible without the judge's prior agreement.
Mr Power said evidence about sexual relationships would need to be relevant to the case.
"It doesn't mean that it can't be, it just means that the process has to ensure that the victim of crimes like that is given as much comfort from the process as (possible) but as I said in the speech I am opening this area up for debate today."
He has also asked the Law Commission to look at inquisitorial models as an alternative to courts.
Mr Power said he had told Mr Key he would like to go see the alternative system working.
The reporting rate for sexual violence offences is 9-12 percent of estimated actual offending.
