Murder is the most heinous form of unlawful homicide; intentional killing is it's paradigm case, which usually incurs a penalty of mandatory severity. But most jurisdictions permit reliance on partial defences which reduce intentional killing from murder to a lesser homicide such as, for example, manslaughter. Provocation and excessive force in self defence are recognised as partial defences in many jurisdictions. Should freely given consent to die or incur a risk of death at the hands of the defendant also be recognised as a partial defence? This would be an affirmative defence with appropriate definitional safeguards. The suggestion is not unprecedented. Thomas Macaulay's Indian Penal Code permits reliance on such a partial defence.