Murder & manslaughter

Murder and manslaughter are the most serious charges in the criminal law. A conviction for murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The complexity of these cases — forensic, medical, and legal — demands experienced and dedicated representation from the earliest stage.

Offences covered

I accept instructions in all homicide matters, including:

  • Murder
  • Voluntary manslaughter (including diminished responsibility and loss of control)
  • Involuntary manslaughter (including unlawful act manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter)
  • Causing death by dangerous driving
  • Causing or allowing the death of a child
  • Corporate manslaughter
  • Joint enterprise and secondary liability cases

Partial defences to murder

Where a murder charge cannot be defended outright, partial defences may reduce the conviction to manslaughter. Diminished responsibility requires evidence of an abnormality of mental functioning arising from a recognised medical condition. Loss of control requires a qualifying trigger. Both require careful preparation and expert psychiatric evidence.

Joint enterprise

Joint enterprise prosecutions — where multiple defendants are charged in connection with the same killing — are complex and require individual analysis of each defendant's role and state of mind. Following the Supreme Court decision in R v Jogee [2016], the prosecution must prove that the secondary party intended to assist or encourage the principal.

Frequently asked questions

Murder requires proof of an intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm. Manslaughter does not require proof of that intention. Voluntary manslaughter arises where a partial defence reduces what would otherwise be murder. Involuntary manslaughter arises where death is caused by an unlawful act or by gross negligence.
A conviction for murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The judge sets a minimum term which must be served before the Parole Board can consider release. Minimum terms vary significantly depending on the circumstances of the offence.
Joint enterprise is a principle under which a person who assists or encourages another to commit an offence can be convicted as a secondary party. The prosecution must prove that the secondary party intended to assist or encourage the principal.