Graham Hyland QC

Graham Hyland QC

  • Year of Call: 1978
  • Recorder: 1996
  • QC: 1998
  • B.A. (Hons), University of Newcastle
    Inner Temple
Practice

Graham Hyland QC is Broadway House Chambers' most senior Criminal Law practitioner, having been called to the bar in 1978 and taken silk in 1998. He has a national reputation, a trademark style of advocacy and is called upon to act in the most serious criminal cases.

Graham has been a mainstay of life at the criminal bar since the start of his career and he is well-known for routinely producing performances of excellence in complex cases in the Crown Court. He has a busy practice and as Chambers' most senior silk he undertakes serious criminal work of all types, particularly homicide (including multiple homicide), sexual offences, drugs offences and serious fraud. Graham has also appeared in several important appeals to the Court of Appeal, and as a Recorder he is able to provide a judicial angle when considering the merits of his client's case.

A particular area of specialisation is Graham's interest in mental health, mentally disordered Defendants and the associated psychiatric issues. He has been recognised by the major legal directories as having considerable expertise in this area and has sat as a part-time President of the Mental Health Review Tribunal. Over the past decade Graham Hyland QC has been consistently recommended in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK for the high standard of his work and the breadth of his experience.

 

What The Directories Say

 

Legal 500

"Has excellent preparatory and advocacy skills" - 2011

"An excellent jury advocate and is particularly expert in cases with psychiatric aspects" - 2010

"Masterly in his summing up" - 2009

"Achieves some remarkable acquittals" - 2008

 

Chambers & Partners UK

"Acted in a number of high-profile cases" - 2011

"Very busy and very popular for murder cases" - 2010

"A masterly advocate" - 2009

"Much lauded for his ability to sweep away all the dead wood in a case" - 2008

 

Graham Hyland QC - a Direct Access Barrister

 

Graham Hyland QC is able to accept Direct Access work under the Bar Public Access Scheme. For more information in relation to the scheme or to make a booking directly please contact our dedicated Criminal Clerking Team on the details provided opposite.

 

Professional Memberships

 

Criminal Bar Association

 

Notable Cases

 

Court of Appeal

R v Kinsella [2009] EWCA Crim 844

Criminal Law - Murder - Appeal of Sentence

R v Mitchell and another [2008] EWCA Crim 2552

Criminal law – Joint enterprise. Court of Appeal, Criminal Division: The defendant's conviction for murder, on the basis of a joint enterprise, was not unsafe since she had continued to participate in the incident, and had not withdrawn from it, when the deceased had been killed.

R v Bonellie and others [2008] EWCA Crim 1417

Sentence – Life imprisonment – Minimum period of imprisonment – Murder involving sadistic conduct – Defendants systematically attacking, tormenting, humiliating and beating deceased to death – Whether sadistic conduct – Criminal Justice Act 2003, Sch 21, para 5(2)(e)

R v Gudja [2007] All ER (D) 225 (Jul)

Sentence – Custodial sentence – Seriousness of offence – Theft – Shoplifting – Persistent offending – Plea of guilty on day of trial – Whether judge wrong not to give credit for late plea – Whether totality of sentences manifestly excessive.

R v Bryan [2001] EWCA Crim 2550

Jury – Discretion to discharge juror – Exercise of discretion – Two jurors overheard discussing case whilst travelling on public transport – Jurors intimating that fellow juror having made decision on guilt of accused without considering any evidence – Judge refusing to discharge jury – Whether judge properly exercising discretion not to discharge jury – Whether conviction unsafe.