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Murder and Manslaughter

The Chambers of 1 Inner Temple Lane pride themselves on their expertise and long established track record in conducting murder and manslaughter cases.

Such cases naturally require the highest level of skill and experience as murder carries the ultimate penalty of mandatory life imprisonment. Being able to reduce a murder allegation to that of manslaughter offers a court the considerable lesser option of a determinate or even non custodial sentence.

For example Kerim Fuad QC secured a 3 year rehabilitation order for a man accused of the double murder of his parents, as he had murder reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

1 ITL have enjoyed notable success in cases involving self defence, diminished responsibility (including post traumatic stress disorder) and provocation. From 4th October 2010 the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 has reconstructed the law on provocation and has called for a rethink on the instances in which provocation can properly and tactically be advanced.

Murder was once defined in R v Coke (1797) as “the unlawful killing of any reasonable creature under the King’s peace.” In some respects not much has changed however the need for experienced Queen’s Counsel and juniors to advise and conduct such complex cases grows as the length of the minimum terms of imprisonment for murder get longer and longer.