Called: 2004
Benjamin Knight
HEAD OF CRIMINAL TEAM
Benjamin Knight is a highly respected and formidable barrister, recognised for his exceptional skills and extensive experience in handling some of the most complex and serious criminal cases. He is often called upon to provide expert counsel on high-profile cases involving murder, manslaughter, firearms offenses, gang violence, serious organized crime, drug trafficking, and importation, people trafficking, and the most serious cases of wounding, causing grievous bodily harm, rape, and sexual assault.
Ben’s unparalleled expertise in the Modern Slavery Act and the operation of the National Referral Mechanism make him a highly sought-after legal professional, and he has provided influential lectures and talks on the topic, both individually and alongside other top-tier experts in the field.
As leading counsel, Ben has appeared in numerous high-level cases and has experience both alone and led in the Court of Appeal and High Court. He is never phased professionally, regularly defending against two-counsel prosecution teams (silk and junior) and delivering highly persuasive arguments that have been praised by judges and opponents alike.
In 2022, Ben provided highly-influential argument in the so-called “CTLs judicial review“, the outcome of which was awaited by all criminal lawyers and by the Government – not least for its effect on the CBA industrial action.
In addition to his exceptional criminal defence practice, Ben is highly skilled in IT evidence, with a level of technical expertise that sets him apart from other legal practitioners. His ability to cross-examine experts in multiple forensic fields is well-known, and he is frequently sought out to lend his expertise in complex cases.
Ben’s impressive skill set also extends to military law, where he has successfully represented service personnel in courts-martial, earning the admiration and respect of military discipline staff.
His experience in conducting jury/Article 2 inquests, and more conventional inquests make him a valuable asset to any legal team.
Moreover, Ben is a pioneer in the legal community, being recognised for his work in establishing the LGBTQIA+ Law Clinic at Central Chambers, which reflects his commitment to ensuring that marginalised communities receive top-tier legal representation.
His niche practice in software licensing and intellectual property demonstrates his versatility and breadth of knowledge.
In summary, Ben is an impressive legal professional whose skills and expertise are highly-prized in his field. His extensive experience and exceptional legal acumen make him the ideal choice for clients seeking the very best legal representation.
Excellence Through Continuity of Representation
Affiliations/Personal
Criminal Bar Association Member
LGBT+ Lawyers Division member
LGBTQ+ Law Clinic lead
Founder, presenter and producer of Northpod Law which ran for for ten years and was unique at the time of its inception
Various media appearances in the UK and USA
Member of Legal Sector Workers United (LSWU), an arm of trade union United Voices of the World (UVW)
Sample of press:
The Guardian (2019) County lines and human trafficking
Ben is often consulted by journalists for his knowledge and expertise in areas such as Modern Slavery, “tech crime”, and procedural matters.
Education
LLB (Hons.)
Université de Paris XII – Maîtrise en droit francais (mention droit des affaires)
Called to the Bar by Middle Temple.
Languages – English, French
Notable Cases
- R v D (2024) – Multi-complainant jury trial involving allegations of familial rape, sexual assault, ABH, and IIoC. Secured an acquittal on all counts. Involved complex examination of forensic evidence and challenging SARC expert evidence.
- DPP v Crown Courts at Bristol and Manchester (& others) [2022] EWHC 2415 (Admin) – the highly-anticipated CTLs judicial review that was heavily-reported in national press.
- R v L & R (2018-2024) – the largest drugs importation conspiracy in the history of England and Wales. It was also the longest completed trial in the criminal courts of the entire UK. (VHCC) (leading Anthony Williams).
- R v X (a child) (2022) – Rape and machete attack case involving complex witness issues.
- R v JM (2022) – Multi-trial county lines operation.
- R v M (2022) – Multi-complainant historic youth sexual abuse.
- R v L (2022) – Youth modern slavery.
- R v P (2022) – Operation Blue Lancelot. Huge drug trafficking case.
- R v A (2021) – Firearms conspiracy case.
- R v X (2021) – Child neglect case involving complex mental health issues.
- R v S (2021) – An unusual domestic murder involving aspects of desecration and very sensitive mitigation.
- R v K (2021) – A youth modern slavery case receiving media attention.
- R v M (2021) – Unusual kidnap and “torture” case involving children used in a modern slavery context.
- R v F (2021) – Very complex familial incest case.
- R v X (2020) – Murder.
- R v JW (2020) – Successfully defended a young man charged with Attempted Murder.
- R v H (2020) – Successfully defended a man charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent. Included successful submissions for the inclusion of the complainant’s background of criminal activity.
- Inquest into the death of Paul Corness (2020) – Representing the family of the deceased. Successfully argued against a conclusion of Unlawful Killing. Described by officers as the most catastrophic RTA they had ever investigated.
- Inquest into the death of Paul Williams (2020) – Leading Counsel (leading Mark Pritchard) representing the family of the deceased in an Article 2 jury inquest. Successfully argued for an open narrative conclusion instead of suicide of misadventure.
- Pre – 2020 nature of practice included murder, industrial-scale drugs importation, fraud conspiracies, familial sexual assault, firearms conspiracy within a gang context, rape, domestic abuse, GBH, confiscation, firearms possession, child cruelty, digital images and historic sex allegations.
Testimonials for Benjamin
JC
Client and family (sexual offence)
We cannot thank you enough for the all the support given to us as a family. Thank you.
SM
Lay client charged with sexual offences
Ben’s computer expertise is exceptional and, in my case, it was crucial. Thank you so much.
Michael Browne
Court-Martial
Mr Knight is absolutely brilliant at what he does and he always goes the extra mile in his profession. His attention to detail and legal knowledge is incredible & I feel he really cares about his clients including myself when he represented me.
Faisal Hussain
Crown Court Trial Defendant
My name is Faisal Hussain. I am writing this short paragraph just to say thanks for everything Mr Ben Knight has done for me…if it wasn’t for Ben my life would have been finished I went through a very difficult time over these last 6 months and I appreciate all the bail applications even though the first and second application didn’t go through…Ben still tried his hardest for me to prove my innocence. I am so thankful to him and to my solicitors who stuck by me and fought for me. I appreciate everything you have done for me and for treating me like a normal human being and not judging me even though I was on serious charges. Thank you so much; you don’t understand how happy I am to finally have another chance to make my life better for mine and my family’s sake. I most definitely will be telling people if they need a barrister to definitely come to you.
‘DB’
Crown Court – Murder Defendant (acquitted)
I would like to thank my legal team. They are amazing and I would recommend them to everyone. Once again, thank you for your great service.
Kevin Liston
Instructing Solicitor – Partner at Russell & Russell
IIoC and Extreme Pornography
I recently instructed Mr Benjamin Knight in respect of a Client facing separate indictments containing multiple counts of Making, Possessing and Distributing Indecent Photographs of Children. Mr Knight was identified as Counsel due to his level of experience and expertise both legally but with the additional factor of experience and knowledge in the world of IT. From the outset Mr Knight was approachable and readily available to provide clear and concise advice and guidance both in relation to legal issues but importantly in relation to technical issues regarding computers and associated software. The Client and his family were of good character and the Criminal Justice System was completely alien to them. Mr Knight guided them through the process in a calm and reassured manner making himself available on multiple occasions for case conferences. I would not hesitate to recommend instructing Mr Knight in any future matter and in particularly allegations where there is an element of IT/software based evidence.