Karim Khalil KC


Call 1984 | Silk 2003


Karim Khalil KC


Call 1984 | Silk 2003


"Karim is incredibly smooth and glides across the courtroom".


Chambers & Partners 2024

"Karim is an exceptional jury advocate".


Chambers & Partners 2024

"Karim Khalil KC is a standout criminal silk and an esteemed practitioner across the South Eastern Circuit. He is considered by his peers to be one of the leading figures in his practice area."


Chambers & Partners 2022

"Karim is a masterful advocate. His written advocacy is pitch perfect and his oral presentation is music to the ears of both a Judge and a jury. He is a highly regarded opponent. He is fair and firm in everything he does."


The Legal 500 2023

"Karim has a good reputation on the circuit."


Chambers & Partners 2023

Recognised by both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for his expertise in Crime, Karim Khalil KC appears in some of the most serious and high-profile cases across the UK. He routinely advises in cases involving foreign jurisdiction and/or cross border issues.

Karim has extensive experience of cases involving: murder, gross negligence manslaughter, ‘baby-shaking’, serious fraud (including Inland Revenue, Customs & Excise and MTIC), Health & Safety, drug trafficking and serious sexual offences.

Karim became a member of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences following his keynote speech on the “The science of the Soham murders”.

Expertise

Karim Khalil KC is instructed in complex murder/manslaughter cases that are heard in courts throughout the UK. Cases include those involving allegations of gross negligence manslaughter.

He is highly regarded for his expertise in the cross-examination of expert witnesses where issues can be complex and evidentially challenging. This includes baby-shaking cases which involves the often case-critical cross-examination of medical experts from a variety of disciplines.

Notable Murder & Manslaughter cases


R v Lawrence

Acquittal of gross negligence manslaughter – 15 year old girl killed in collision with a buoy due to piloting of a rib craft on the Solent.


R v Hill (Shoreham Air-crash)

Successful defence of pilot accused of gross negligence manslaughter of 11 members of the public – exposed serious failings in the original investigation conducted by the AAIB together with shortcomings in the medical data base and knowledge relating to cognitive impairment in pilots. Leading Stephen Spence.


R v Innes (Cheekie Rafiki)

Successful defence of yacht manager accused of gross negligence manslaughter of 4 crewmen – exposed serious failings in the regulation of the yachting industry and its failure to give statutory force to important regulatory clauses


R v Stretch, Dennehy, Layton & Moore

Defence of duress of murderer’s accomplice who buried the bodies of her victims; involved psychiatric conclusion that the murderer was a psychopath.


R v Crompton

One of the first successful defences of “loss of control” (the partial defence replacement to provocation) in alleged murder of wife with hammer blows to head by sculptor husband.


R v Bryant

Successful defence of mother for serious shaking of infant when father had confessed but was believed to be covering for his partner.


R v Huntley & Carr (Soham murders)

Successful prosecution for murder and assisting an offender.


R v Taylor

Advised on and convicted D following a “cold-case review” of a series of historical rapes against several women, culminating in a murder between 1974-1979. Largest case investigated by Cambridgeshire constabulary since the Soham murders.

Karim Khalil KC is instructed in cases involving rape and other serious sexual offences, very often associated with murder.

Notable Sexual Offences cases


R v Maynard-Ellis & Leesley

Murder and dismemberment of a lesbian by two gay men; repeated rape of girlfriend over a decade before.

Karim Khalil is instructed in cases involving rape and other serious sexual offences, very often associated with murder, particularly in the context of “cold case” reviews.

Notable Historic Sexual Offences cases


R v Taylor

Advised on and convicted D following a “cold-case review” of a series of historical rapes against several women, culminating in a murder between 1974-1979. Largest case investigated by Cambridgeshire constabulary since the Soham murders.

Karim Khalil KC has considerable experience of cases involving firearms; including possession offences to armed robbery and murder using a firearm.

Karim Khalil KC has defended successfully various military personnel in Courts Martial hearings. These hearings involve challenging the efficiency and/or lawfulness of military police operations and working with ‘supporting Officers’ as well as the accused.

Also advised government employee in Porton Down military science base.

Notable Military Law cases


R v X

Advised a Government scientist who worked at Porton Down, accused of involvement in the historical infection of ‘volunteers’ with nerve gas within a Government sponsored “experiment”. Successfully resisted the interview of the scientist and the institution of any criminal proceedings on the basis of the whole procedure amounting to an abuse of process given the historical and government sponsored nature of the events.


R v Y & Z

Represented two officers accused of drugs offences – severed the two defendants into separate trials and then successfully argued against the admissibility of evidence relating to the drugs test results leading to directed acquittals.

POCA proceedings often follow convictions in serious cases and Karim Khalil QC is well versed in all the ramifications of the POCA legislation. He wrote the original chapter in the edition of “Fraud: Law Practice and Procedure”

Notable Proceeds of Crime: Confiscation cases


R v Cowan

Successful dismissal of all POCA proceedings following conviction of involvement in the supply of Class A drugs.

Karim Khalil KC has acted for individuals and companies in respect of corporate allegations. These have included wide ranging allegations of fraudulent activity including improper competition through bribery and dishonest accounting.

Notable Corporate Liability (Under Financial Crime/ Civil Recovery) cases


Hannan v DTI - Defence – Company Directors Disqualification Act.

Leading case on the purpose and effect of the CDDA involving analysis of the relationship between the proven illegal activity and the requested Directors’ disqualification.

Karim Khalil KC acts for individuals, often professionals, accused of committing significant frauds. In the VAT Tribunal he has represented company directors accused of committing significant VAT carousel frauds. He has represented Solicitors accused of perpetrating frauds on clients through their company accounts.

Notable Fraud cases


R v Woolcott & others

Successful defence of £7million carbon credit and diamond fraud. Leading Annie Johnston.


R v Roberts

Successful defence of the alleged ‘frontman’ for a series of frauds and related money laundering activities over 6 years upon UK and foreign individuals and companies totalling over $40m.


Advised northern football club in dispute with FA re suitability of their ground and their related administrative demotion in relation to allegations of financial impropriety.

Karim Khalil KC has represented barristers appearing before the disciplinary tribunal. The issues raised have included making racial slurs to witnesses/opponents; sexual assaults on fellow members of chambers/colleagues; dishonesty by non-payment of chambers debts and/or misrepresentations of fee income within chambers or to HMRC/VAT.

Karm Khalil KC successfully represented Andy Hill, accused of multiple counts of manslaughter and regulatory offences relating to the use of an aircraft in the Shoreham air-crash.

He was instructed to represent a Cambridge College in relation to the finding of asbestos and related employee relations arising from their failure to address the situation. Detailed discussions and negotiations successfully kept the case from achieving notoriety.

Notable Health & Safety (Consumer & Regulatory offences) cases


R v Hill (Shoreham Air-crash)

Successful defence of pilot accused of gross negligence manslaughter of 11 members of the public – exposed serious failings in the original investigation conducted by the AAIB together with shortcomings in the medical data base and knowledge relating to cognitive impairment in pilots. Leading Stephen Spence.

Karim is instructed in cases involving high value importations/supplies of drugs.

Notable Drugs cases


R v Lopez & Al-Saffee

Importations of 400kg of drugs valued at £32M

Associations and Memberships

  • MA Hons (Law) – Queens’ College, Cambridge

  • Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire
  • Recorder of the Central Criminal Court
  • Chair of the Cambridge & Peterborough Bar Mess (Chair
  • Bencher of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
  • South Eastern Circuit Committee
  • Joint Advocates Selection Committee (S.E Circuit)
  • British Academy of Forensic Sciences
  • Judging panel of the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire’s Award for Forensic Excellence

  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Proceeds of Crime Lawyer’s Association
  • Health and Safety Lawyer’s Association

Awards

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