University News Last updated 10 January 2024
Defending death-row inmates in Oklahoma convinced a young Sir Julian Knowles that his future lay in the law - but the British High Court Judge admits he sometimes had to 鈥減inch鈥� himself during an illustrious career that included some of the most high-profile cases ever seen.
鈥淚t was an astonishingly formative experience to have aged 21,鈥� said Sir Julian of his time as a volunteer paralegal working with condemned prisoners in the United States. 鈥淚 worked with some great people and saw some terrible things, but I soon realised that law was what I wanted to do.鈥�
Sir Julian recently returned to 探花直播 (BCU) to receive an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his outstanding contribution to public and professional life.
鈥淚t is a privilege to be recognised,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he University has turned out thousands of amazing graduates over the years and to receive this honour feels very special. I like to think I am accepting it on behalf of everyone who has gone there and worked hard in pursuit of their dream.鈥�
Sir Julian studied Maths as an undergraduate at Oxford University and had plans to move into research. Instead, he chose to study law and graduated with distinction from BCU in 1993.
鈥淚 realised I wanted a career that would enable me to do something useful and help society,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 owe my career as a lawyer to BCU and the brilliant lecturers I had.鈥� I can honestly say I enjoyed every day there and I look back on my time there with great affection.鈥濃��
After leaving BCU, Sir Julian embarked on a career that resulted in his involvement in some of the biggest legal battles in UK history.
These included the General Pinochet extradition case, the Si么n Jenkins murder case, the Kenneth Noye M25 murder, the shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes, the Dewani 鈥榟oneymoon murder鈥� extradition case, and the Queen鈥檚 Lancashire Regiment war crimes court martial.
鈥淭he Pinochet鈥痚xtradition case in 1998 was an important case which broke new legal ground,鈥� said Sir Julian, who was on the team opposing the former Chilean leader鈥檚 extradition from the UK.
鈥淚t was a great case to be in at the start of my career.鈥疘 loved trying to help solve the really difficult legal problems it threw up.鈥疉nd I got to see some of the most brilliant advocates ever at the peak of their powers. That was an immense privilege and helped my own growth as a lawyer.
鈥淢y last case in the Supreme Court - R v Jogee - reformed 30 years of the law of murder and was the culmination of a problem which I had been puzzling over all my career.鈥�
So how would Sir Julian, who was awarded the customary knighthood on his appointment to the High Court Bench in 2017, reflect on his career?
鈥滱s a barrister, I worked hard but was also amazingly lucky with the opportunities I had,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 tried to take every one of them with both hands and do the best I could in accordance with my professional duty. That鈥檚 all anyone can do as a barrister.
鈥淎s a judge, I come to every case with an open mind and make decisions in accordance with the law as I see it. What I did as a barrister 鈥� or a student - is just no longer relevant. Integrity and impartiality and courtesy and fairness is at the core of what we do.鈥�
And what advice would Sir Julian, who was renowned as a barrister for his practice in complex criminal law and fraud, extradition, human rights law, public law and media law, give to anyone considering a career in the legal profession?
鈥淚t is a great career that can be immensely rewarding, but it is very competitive, so you need to go into it with your eyes open and have a strategy,鈥� he said.
鈥淎lso be aware of the responsibilities you will have. They are immense.鈥�