Alfred Charles Hanlon

Who was Alfred Charles Hanlon?

Alfred Charles Hanlon, KC, also known as Alf Hanlon, was a New Zealand lawyer, who, according to the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, "was one of the most outstanding criminal advocates in New Zealand's history". He was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, where he lived and died, though he represented clients nationwide. Hanlon represented at least 16 people charged with murder, but he is best known for his first defence case, in which he represented the only woman to be hanged in New Zealand, Minnie Dean. Dean was the only murder defendant of Hanlon's to be hanged.

Hanlon's career was the subject of a 1985 New Zealand television drama series, called Hanlon. The series was a critical and a commercial success, and was nominated for Best Overseas Program at the 1986 Emmy Awards. Its first episode, In Defence of Minnie Dean, "contributed to a re-evaluation of Dean's conviction", and won the Best Director, Best Drama Programme, Drama Script, and Performance, Female, in a Dramatic Role categories at the 1986 Listener Television Awards.