Samantha Knights > Matrix Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Matrix Chambers
GRIFFIN BUILDING, GRAY'S INN
LONDON
WC1R 5LN
England
Samantha Knights photo

Position

Barrister specialising in immigration and asylum, civil liberties, administrative and public law and commercial litigation including arbitration. Recent and important cases include: Al Sirri/DD (Afghanistan) v SSHD, UKSC (exclusion under Refugee Convention); NS v SSHD, CJEU (Dublin Regulation transfers and EU charter); Le Geyt v UK, ECtHR (no separate provision for female juvenile offenders in Jersey); SFO v Al Zayat, CA (Crim) (proceeds of crime); Rottenberg v LB Hackney, Div Ct (noise nuisance and Art. 9 ECHR).

Career

Called 1996; Lincoln’s Inn.

Languages

Working knowledge of French; basic Russian.

Memberships

Bar Human Rights Committee; Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association.

Education

Somerville College, Oxford (1993 BA Hons); City University, London (1994 CPE); London School of Economics (2004 LLM).

Lawyer Rankings

London Bar > Immigration (including business immigration)

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2

Samantha Knights KCMatrix Chambers

A ‘first-class set‘, Matrix Chambers has extensive expertise in all areas of immigration and asylum law, with particular emphasis on complex and sensitive claims, as well as cases concerning national security issues before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. Raza Husain KC acted in R (AAA) v SSHD, the judicial review claim challenging the SSHD’s policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda. Nick Armstrong KC is a key member for detention cases, and Chris Buttler is sought after for his expertise in cases regarding human trafficking. Samantha Knights KC and Ayesha Christie represented Shamima Begum in the challenge of the deprivation of her British nationality before the SIAC and Court of Appeal, in which Jonathan Glasson KC was instructed by the Government. Hugh Southey KC is also active in this space.