Peter Doyle KC
  • He is quietly devastating in his advocacy.

    Chambers UK 2024, Financial Crime

  • He's an excellent cross-examiner, who can change the atmosphere in the courtroom.

    Chambers UK 2024, Crime

  • He's got so much experience and he deploys it with devastating effect.

    Chambers UK 2024, Crime

  • He's very logical and structured in his advocacy.

    Chambers UK 2024, Crime

  • Peter has a calm authority in court, and a lovely and engaging manner with witnesses, judges and juries. 

    Legal 500 2024, Crime

  • He can find an argument in even the most evidentially challenging of cases.

    Legal 500 2024, Crime

  • His cross-examination is excellent.

    Chambers UK 2023, Crime

  • Tremendously well prepared and always available to answer queries, he adds value to any case.

    Chambers UK 2023, Crime

  • Peter is excellent: smooth, polished, and thoughtful.

    Legal 500 2023, Fraud: Crime

  • Peter is a hugely-experienced, skilled and patient barrister with an engaging and persuasive manner.

    Legal 500 2023, Crime

  • A very measured, thoughtful and authoritative barrister - when he speaks clients listen

    Chambers UK 2022

  • Bright, hard-working and meticulous in his work.

    Chambers UK 2022

  • Peter commands respect and attention in the court room. He is thorough in his preparation and clients warm to him.

    Legal 500 2022, Fraud Crime

  • Peter is an extremely clever and persuasive jury advocate of the highest calibre. He is a charming and highly effective jury advocate who advances his client's case rigorously and with the utmost skill. He is very well respected and liked by everyone who works with him. A genuine leader in his field.

    Legal 500 2022, Crime

  • Very thorough and argues points of law immaculately.

    Chambers UK 2021

  • His ability to analyse a case is legendary and he has a very smooth persona in court.

    Chambers UK 2021

  • A real gentleman of the profession – it is a privilege to watch him at work.

    Legal 500 2021, Crime

  • In court he is wonderfully persuasive and juries hang onto his every word.

    Legal 500 2021, Fraud

  • Always finds a new angle or a point of law that can swing the case.

    Chambers UK

  • He is very skilled at unpicking and simplifying the most complex of cases, and is always at the forefront of new law, distilling it, interpreting it and mastering it.  He is very smooth in court and charming at all times.

    Chambers UK

  • Unhesitatingly recommend him.

    Chambers UK

  • Employs his great presence in court to achieve the best result with minimum intervention.

    Chambers UK

  • Very smooth but also very tough.

    Legal 500

  • You could not hope for a more solid advocate.

    Legal 500

  • Excellent client care skills and total recall of the facts of the case.

    Chambers UK

  • An iron fist in a velvet glove.

    Chambers UK

  • A composed figure who always has the facts at his fingertips.

    Chambers UK

  • A composed figure who always has the facts at his fingertips.

    Chambers UK

  • Thorough, knowledgeable and strategically clever.

    Legal 500

  • He never shies away from complex and contentious legal arguments.

    Legal 500

  • He is always prepared for every potential argument and eventuality.

    Legal 500

  • He prepares thoroughly, has endless patience and argues the law with great authority.

    Legal 500

  • Clearly the senior intellect in court and a really good “details man” – ideal for fraud work.

    Legal 500

  • He defends senior officers in disciplinary cases.

    Legal 500

  • His excellent and perfectly paced closing speeches underline his experience and ability.

    Legal 500

  • A man of great judgement.

    Chambers UK 2020

  • He is an imperturbable silk.

    Legal 500 2020

  • Delightful.

    Chambers UK 2020

Called 1975

Silk 2002

Peter Doyle KC

Barrister

He has a reputation for taking on some of the most complex cases, both serious fraud and related cases as well as mainstream serious crime particularly murder and manslaughter cases.

"An immensely experienced criminal defence practitioner instructed across a range of offences and disciplines."
Crime "Thorough, knowledgeable and strategically clever".
Fraud "He never shies away from complex and contentious legal arguments".
"His excellent & perfectly paced closing speeches underline his experience & ability" Legal 500

Solicitors welcome his ability to deliver high quality client care and to master the detail of a case often bringing to trial preparation novel and successful tactical approaches to challenging and adducing evidence. Year on year the Directories have commended his trial and case preparation skills.

He has considerable experience in cross-examining expert witnesses. In addition to forensic evidence of all types he is experienced in the examination of the causation of fatal injuries in the context of both criminal and regulatory litigation, forensic accountancy, health and safety regimes as well as protocols and procedures impacting on the delivery of statutory duties both in the private and public service sectors.

He is noted for his ability to tackle complex and often commercially sensitive issues at short notice and to provide, where required, urgent legal and tactical advice particularly at the early stages of investigations into potentially serious criminal allegations.

He is known for his grasp of the full details of a case and for preparing detailed written rebuttal documents often at short notice. As was noted in last year's Legal 500 “His immaculate preparation mines a bottomless pit of detail" and "he exudes confidence".

These recognised skills make him an obvious choice for complex fraud and regulatory work derived as they are from his enormous experience in these fields. For examples of his casework simply click on the "Fraud" and "Regulatory" links to the right.

He has wide experience of cases involving sudden or accidental death both in the workplace as well as in police custody and in the course of wider policing operations including fatal shootings.

He has appeared in three major Public Inquiries- Stephen Lawrence, Marchioness Disaster and Victoria Climbie and has vast experience in regulatory/disciplinary work.

He has defended in a large number of murder/manslaughter cases; from a single defendant to multi-handed cases involving gang and youth violence. His skills at cross-examination of expert witnesses has proved invaluable; particularly when examining causation of injuries, DNA or challenging the prosecution’s interpretation of CCCT material.

He regularly presents to solicitors and the Bar on topical developments in the criminal law.

He is approved by the BSB to undertake Direct Access work.

Peter is a Founding Member of the Senior Council to the Kalisher Trust and is a voluntary speaker for “Inspiring the Future” (Education and Employers Task force).

Professional Memberships

  • Proceeds of Crime Regulatory Association (POCLA)
  • The Association of Regulatory and disciplinary Lawyers (ARAL)
  • The Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA)
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • South Eastern Circuit

Articles & Publications

  • Barton and Booth v The Queen - When Judicial Opinion Converts to Binding Precedent, 30 April 2020 (click here).
  • The Stalking Protection Act 2019 - an analysis of the Act taking effect on 20 January 2020 (click here)
  • The Age of Criminal Responsibility - a comparison of England & Wales to other EU countries (click here).
  • Don't slow me down. Examines the potential unfairness in playing CCTV of fatal incident in slow motion given its tendency to give a false impression that a defendant has more time to form the required intent than was in truth the case.
  • A wrong turn. An analysis of the ruling in R v Jogee and Ruddock on the application of the principles of joint enterprise and the role of secondary parties.
  • R v Jogee. Defeating joint enterprise. A case study." (See R v A and Other ibid)
  • Controlling and Coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.
  • Public spaces protection orders - A need for caution?
  • The SFO's operational guidance and procedures for S.2 interview. The lawyer and the interviewer.
  • The reckless senior banker - S.36 financial services (Banking reform) Act 2013.
  • Fining large corporate environmental offenders - Why size matters.
  • The absconding defendant in confiscation proceedings.
  • Tracing the proceeds of money laundering - Keeping and eye on the big picture - feeling the substance and not the width (Federal Republic of Brazil v Durant International Corporation).
  • The treatment in confiscation proceedings of VAT accounted for and or paid to HMRC - R v Harvey (2015) UKSC 73
  • New measures in the field of director disqualification - The small business enterprise and Employment Act 2015.
  • Corporate bribery investigations and the potential for mandatory or discretionary exclusion from EU public sector contracts.