Murder is seen as the most serious of all offences and if you are convicted the courts will pass a mandatory life sentence.
In proving their case the prosecution must show that the deceased was human, alive before their death, was unlawfully killed, and that the defendant was of sound mind and intended to either kill the deceased or cause them grievous bodily harm.
All murder cases tend to attract a lot of media attention and raise heightened emotion for the family and friends of the deceased as well as those for the defendant.
Murder trials are evidentially complicated. The prosecution will want to introduce evidence from the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCOs) who will have collected forensic evidence from the scene. This can include DNA material, fibres, blood, etc. In defending a murder case this evidence may well need to be challenged by instructing expert witnesses to underpin your version of events and put your case forward in the strongest possible way.
There are 2 types of defence to Murder, those being complete and partial. With regard to a complete defence these include alibi or self defence. A partial defence is one which, if successful can reduce the offence of murder to one of voluntary manslaughter. These partial defences are diminished responsibility, loss of control and killing in pursuance of a suicide pact. It should be noted that duress is not a defence to murder.
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