Benjamin Knight

Called 2004

A former solicitor-advocate, Ben has worked in legal Manchester since 2004 and has experience in many areas of common-law practise. 

Whilst working in-house at solicitors' firms, Ben provided pre-litigation advice in personal injury matters and routinely prepared detailed advice on liability and quantum to members of the personal injury teams.

Increasingly, insurers have solicitors instruct Counsel in order to assess the credibility of defendant witnesses in road traffic matters.  Ben has experience of undertaking such conferences and providing advice to instructing solicitors on the potential performance of witnesses.  He accepts PI instructions with a swift response time for advice on quantum and liability. 

If you require advice/representation in LVI matters, obtaining early advice on the issues and arguments is often essential.  Despite the recent trends in case law, you are likely to need robust advocacy and a firm approach to applications before the Court. 

Ben has experience of Anti-Social Behaviour defence work and other such quasi-crime matters and is happy to have preliminary discussions on these proceedings with any solicitors confronted with what is an unusual area of practise.

In his criminal practise, Ben defends in all courts, prosecutes in magistrates' courts and prides himself in providing solicitors with LSC-compliant file notes in order to make billing of files quicker and easier for solicitors. 

Ben specialises in youth justice and is pleased to meet with solicitors in Chambers on a pro bono basis in the early stages of such cases in order to discuss strategy and to assist in drafting arguments to the Court.

Ben accepts instructions in judicial review, adjudications, lifer panel and parole matters.  He has a particular interest in cases where prisoners are serving IPP sentences and where mental health issues are involved.  He appears before mental health review tribunals and can provide expert advice on the medical aspects of prison/secure unit problems.

Ben has experience in taxi licensing, firearms licensing and liquor licensing.  Whether you are looking for representation before the City Council or in the Crown Court, you should not hesitate in contacting Chambers.

In the last five years, Ben has represented lay clients in a variety of family cases and is pleased to accept instructions in family proceedings.  Ben's approach to contact proceedings regularly finds favour with the Court as he takes a very practical and pragmatic attitude in delivering his lay clients' objectives.

Affiliations/Personal

• Labour Party member
• GMB member
• Liberty member
• Criminal Bar Association Member
• Musician (guitar, drums, vocals)
• Presenter/Writer of the Official Manchester Phoenix Podcast

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