Barrister: Graham King

Year of Call: 2007

Inn of Court: Gray's Inn

Practice Groups:

• Direct Access Barristers
• Criminal
• Regulatory

Areas of Practice:

Graham King read Law at Oxford, graduating with good second class honours in 1981, but it was not until 2005 that he embarked on reading for the bar. Before that came a career in the media which spanned on-screen news reporting, producing and presenting live TV and radio programmes, and seventeen years as a director of a television facilities and production company. In that role he dealt with major broadcasters, sports’ governing bodies, and Premier League football clubs, players and agents as well as surmounting the myriad challenges that face any moderately sized business.

Graham’s practice is primarily in criminal defence. His years of life experience prior to the bar have enabled him quickly to take on cases of a serious nature. As a pupil at 1 Gray’s Inn Square, he successfully defended against a charge of racially aggravated threatening words and behaviour, an accused who had featured as Sky TV’s “angriest man in Britain.” Since then he has defended in the Crown Court in cases of sexual assault, robbery with firearms, and rape of a child. He has dealt with numerous matters of robbery, burglary, firearms and possession of drugs with intent and with prison adjudication and Parole Board matters.

Outside the criminal field, Graham has dealt with matters before the Mental Health review Tribunal, in the County Court and in the Administrative Court. He is also an Accredited Mediator, approved by the Bar Council, the Law Society and the Civil Mediation Council to act in Alternative Dispute Resolution in all but legally aided family cases – covering all civil, commercial, workplace and regulatory disputes.

Graham is approved by the Bar Council to accept instructions directly from members of the public, in appropriate cases. 

Notable Cases

R v WATTS and another

Robbery with firearms  – defendant acquitted after two weeks’ trial at Woolwich Crown Court

R (Thompson) v Secretary of State for Justice

Administrative Court – right of Scottish prisoner transferred to custody in England to be released on Home Detention Curfew under English scheme. 

R v KHAN and others

Large scale conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs 

R v MARTIN and others

Rape of a child under 13: mother accused of rape of daughter on a joint enterprise basis with husband. 

Personal Interests

Graham has a long standing interest in politics having previously been president of the Student Union, he has also stood as a Conservative candidate at the 2001 General Election. He currently lives in London with his partner and two dogs.

1 Gray's Inn Square, Barristers' Chambers London, UK