Murder/homicide

Murder is any wilful act causing death, where there was a wicked intention to kill, or where there was no regard for the consequences as to whether the victim lived or died. Murder is one of the many crimes of violence. If charged with this serious crime you must contact a murder defence lawyer to have the best chance of avoiding imprisonment. 

Murder FAQ

A: Murder is any wilful act destroying life, whether wickedly intended to kill, or displaying such wicked recklessness as to imply a disposition depraved enough to be regardless of consequences.
A: There are specific and strict conditions that have to be met in order to present self-defence as the cause of death.

Murder defence lawyer

Our specialist team of murder lawyers have a wealth of experience in preparing murder cases for clients in The High Court and instructing the top advocates to present your case and represent you in The High Court.

Over the years we have been involved in numerous high profile murder cases in Scottish courts and we are well accustomed to dealing with highly complex murder cases often involving huge amounts of evidence.

Murder investigation process

When a death occurs that is thought to be suspicious this must be reported to the Procurator Fiscal. The Procurator Fiscal will instruct the police to open an investigation should they deem it necessary. They will also determine if criminal charges need to be brought which leads to a prosecution. 

Murder cases are always heard at The High Court and involve the employment of a QC along with Junior Counsel who present the case for the defence to the Jury.

In 2019/2020 there was an increase in murder cases recorded by the Police of 3% from the year before. This took the total from 62 to 64. Although this is an increase this is one of the lowest totals ever recorded in a 12 month period since 1976.

A charge of murder carries with it a mandatory life sentence. A murder defence lawyer is a crucial component in your defence and will do everything they can to ensure you don’t spend life behind bars.

Attempted murder

Attempted murder occurs when there has been a serious assault or the recklessness of an assault was such that there were no regards for the consequences. This is just one of the many crimes of violence we can represent you for.

Culpable homicide

Otherwise known as manslaughter, people are charged with this when a murder is not due to intent or recklessness. These charges also require for the actions to have not been justifiable either.

Defence of self-defence

If you acted in self-defence then you should contact our specialist lawyers today to see if self-defence can be used in your case.

Murder defence lawyer – Legal Aid Scotland

If you or a loved one has been charged with murder then it is vital that you contact our specialist team of murder lawyers without delay. Scottish Legal Aid is available for people who are charged with murder. Contact us and we will talk you through your options.

Matthew & Manus are top lawyers & very understanding humans.
They stood by my side when there was Nobody, treated me like a family, not a client.