Murder & Manslaughter Lawyers

If you’ve been charged with murder or manslaughter in Queensland, your life as you know it is on the line. These are the most serious criminal charges in the state, and without immediate, expert legal representation, you’re facing the very real possibility of life imprisonment.

Whether you’re in custody or under investigation, Hannay Criminal Defence can provide urgent legal advice within hours of your first call. Our Brisbane and Gold Coast criminal defence team has defended clients facing the most severe charges in Queensland’s justice system — and we understand exactly what’s at stake.

What are the Stakes?

The consequences of a murder or manslaughter conviction are catastrophic. You’re not just facing decades behind bars — you’re facing the complete destruction of your future, your family, and your freedom. Every decision you make from this moment forward can determine whether you spend the rest of your life in prison or have any chance at defending yourself successfully.

Under Queensland’s Criminal Code Act 1899, murder is defined under section 302 as the unlawful killing of another person with intent to cause death or grievous bodily harm. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment — the harshest sentence available under Queensland law. Manslaughter, defined under section 310, involves unlawful killing without the intent required for murder, and still carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

These aren’t charges that disappear. They don’t get downgraded easily. And they require immediate, aggressive legal intervention from lawyers who know Queensland’s criminal justice system inside out.

What the Law Says

Queensland law recognises several related homicide offences, each carrying severe penalties. Murder under section 302 is the most serious — it requires proof that you intended to kill or cause grievous bodily harm. Manslaughter under section 310 applies when death is caused unlawfully but without murderous intent — this can include deaths resulting from criminal negligence or dangerous acts.

Unlawful killing is the foundation of both murder and manslaughter charges. It means causing someone’s death in circumstances that aren’t justified or excused by law. Attempted murder, covered under section 306, applies when you take substantial steps toward killing someone with intent, even if death doesn’t result — and it still carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Aiding suicide under section 311 is also a serious charge in Queensland. If you counsel, aid, or procure someone to take their own life, you can be charged with a crime carrying up to life imprisonment, even if you didn’t physically cause the death yourself.

The Investigation

The police investigation in homicide cases is exhaustive. They’ll examine forensic evidence, witness statements, digital communications, CCTV footage, autopsy reports, and every detail of your movements before and after the alleged offence. They’ll conduct lengthy interviews designed to extract admissions or inconsistencies that can be used against you in court.

This is why having Hannay Criminal Defence involved from the earliest possible moment is critical. We ensure that every step of the investigation is conducted lawfully, that your rights are protected during police interviews, and that no evidence is obtained improperly. We’ve seen cases where unlawfully obtained evidence has been excluded at trial — and that exclusion can be the difference between a conviction and an acquittal.

Defences Available

Queensland’s Criminal Code provides several partial defences that can reduce a murder charge to manslaughter or result in a complete acquittal. These defences are complex, and they require detailed legal knowledge and strategic presentation to succeed.

Provocation

Provocation, under section 304, may apply if the killing was done in the heat of passion caused by sudden provocation, and before there was time for your passion to cool. Provocation doesn’t justify the killing, but it can reduce murder to manslaughter. The provocation must be sudden, it must be serious enough to deprive an ordinary person of self-control, and you must have acted before you had time to calm down. This defence requires careful reconstruction of the events leading up to the death and expert legal argument about whether the provocation was sufficient under the law.

Diminished Responsibility

Diminished responsibility, under section 304A, applies when the act causing death was done while you were in a state of abnormality of mind that substantially impaired your capacity to understand what you were doing, control your actions, or know that you shouldn’t do the act. This defence often involves psychiatric evidence showing that a mental condition — such as severe depression, psychosis, or brain injury — impaired your mental functioning at the time of the offence. Successfully arguing diminished responsibility can reduce murder to manslaughter, significantly reducing the likely sentence.

Killing in an Abusive Domestic Relationship

Killing in an abusive domestic relationship, under section 304B, may apply if the deceased committed serious domestic violence against you during your relationship, and you believed on reasonable grounds that it was necessary to kill them to preserve yourself from death or grievous bodily harm. This defence recognises the unique psychological and physical circumstances faced by victims of sustained domestic abuse. It requires detailed evidence about the history of violence, the nature of the abuse, and your state of mind at the time of the killing.

Self-Defence

Self-defence, under section 271, is a complete defence if you reasonably believed it was necessary to use force to defend yourself or another person from unlawful violence, and the force used was reasonable in the circumstances. If self-defence is made out, you must be acquitted. However, the Crown will argue that your actions went beyond what was necessary or reasonable, so this defence requires meticulous evidence gathering and presentation.

Accident

Accident is another potential defence under section 23. If the death was a result of an accident — meaning you were doing a lawful act in a lawful way with proper care and caution, and the death occurred by misfortune without criminal intent — you cannot be held criminally responsible. This defence is highly fact-specific and depends on reconstructing exactly what happened and why.

What to Expect

Murder and manslaughter cases are heard in Queensland’s Supreme Court, the highest trial court in the state. These trials are presided over by a judge and decided by a jury. The prosecution must prove every element of the charge beyond reasonable doubt — but juries are often swayed by emotion, media coverage, and the traumatic nature of homicide cases.

That’s why your legal representation matters. Hannay Criminal Defence has extensive experience defending clients in Supreme Court murder and manslaughter trials. We know how to challenge the Crown’s evidence, cross-examine prosecution witnesses, present compelling defence evidence, and construct legal arguments that resonate with juries. We’ve successfully defended clients facing life imprisonment and secured verdicts that gave them their lives back.

Sentencing

If you’re convicted of murder in Queensland, the mandatory sentence is life imprisonment. While you may eventually become eligible for parole after serving a minimum non-parole period set by the court, you’ll carry a life sentence for the rest of your life. For manslaughter, sentences vary depending on the circumstances, but they frequently involve lengthy terms of actual imprisonment — often ranging from several years to decades behind bars.

The sentencing process considers factors like the nature of the killing, your level of intent, whether there was planning or premeditation, your criminal history, and whether you’ve shown genuine remorse. We work closely with our clients to present the strongest possible case for mitigation, including character references, psychological reports, and evidence of rehabilitation efforts.

But sentencing is the last stage. Our goal is to defend you at trial, challenge the prosecution’s case at every turn, and fight for an acquittal or a reduction in charges wherever possible.

Why Hannay Criminal Defence?

You need to understand something: murder and manslaughter investigations don’t slow down. While you’re trying to process what’s happening, police are building their case against you. Every day without proper legal representation is a day where critical evidence may be lost, witnesses’ memories may fade, and your legal position may weaken.

Hannay Criminal Defence operates with urgency because we know how fast these cases move. We can meet with you in custody, attend police interviews with you, begin our own investigations immediately, and start building your defence before the prosecution has even finalised their case. We’ve represented clients at every stage — from the initial police investigation through to Supreme Court trials and appeals.

Our criminal defence team has offices in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, and we’re available around the clock to take your call. We understand that these charges often come without warning — late-night arrests, early-morning police raids, or sudden charges following an incident that spiralled out of control. That’s why we offer same-day consultations and immediate legal advice, no matter when you contact us.

Don’t wait. Don’t think this will resolve itself. Don’t assume that cooperating with police without a lawyer will help your case — it won’t. The only thing that protects you in a murder or manslaughter investigation is expert legal representation from the very first moment.