Qualifications and Professional Associations
- [B Admin (Hons) MA (tripos) LLM (cambs)]
- Called to the Bar by the Middle Temple 1990
- Member of Amnesty International
- Member of Liberty
- Member of the Bar Pro Bono Unit
Synopsis of Charles J W Benson's practice at the Bar of England and Wales
I am a proficient Greek speaker.
I am completely computer literate and IT efficient and I use the Internet fluently as a research tool and as a means of communication.
Client care is absolute in the conduct and presentation of any case and this means tailoring ones own plans and arrangements about those of the professional and lay client even when inconvenient. This means being prepared to travel when necessary, to respond quickly orally and in writing to specific requests and to be pro active in the preparation of the defence to ensure that all relevant matters are addressed.
It is important that an advocate is more than a mouthpiece' in the court room but someone in whom the client, the clients' family and the solicitor have complete faith and to whom they have easy access. Sometimes being professional means delivering unpopular news but this can always be done sympathetically, likewise when the need arises to be assertive.
I firmly believe that a barrister who acts as a salesman does neither the lay or professional client any good service. At the end of the day the client needs to be kept properly, fully and honestly informed.
I pride myself in my ability to work efficiently and being able to divide and prioritise my time between essential tasks.
I believe that a keen sense of humour and patience are the most powerful weapons in an advocate's armoury along with the ability to listen and absorb information. Charm is more persuasive than aggression and I believe that a capable advocate must learn to be sensitive to the concerns of a jury and to address those rather than enjoy the sound of his own voice. Above all one is the defendant's representative and I believe that that confers a heavy responsibility which ought not to be abused.
Save that I make it a stipulation that neither my mobile nor my personal numbers and details are to be provided to clients or to any unauthorised person I would expect to provide such details to those instructing me. I make it clear that I am on call to answer questions and address emerging difficulties 24 hours a day whether by e mail or by phone.
I have demanding standards and on receipt of a brief I will first read it and then advise in writing and/or in conference on matters which need to be addressed immediately. If a case properly merits Queens Counsel I will say so and I would not advance my own ambition contrary to the interests of the client. I would expect to assist lay and professional client in choosing the appropriate Queens Counsel or expert in the chosen field.
I prefer to work equally as part of the team with the solicitor client and experts. If we are all working towards the same objective this approach permits of a useful dialogue and prevents errors or omissions creeping in. In every case I expect weekly if not more regular communication with solicitors and I expect to give them and receive from them regular updates in relation to developing issues of fact and of law. I believe that this is essential if one is to achieve a proper management of the case, to deliver a professional service to the client. It is essential to identify, hone and fine tune the issues arising as early as possible in the preparation of any trial.
I normally deal with apex criminal clients principally in complex fraud, money laundering and asset forfeiture and confiscation cases. I do not believe that there are difficult clients just demanding ones and I believe that the clients needs ought to be catered for (always within the rules) even if on occasion that means acting pro bono.
I have featured in a number of significant cases amongst which:
(i) The Millennium Dome robbery
(ii) The Ostrich Farming Corporation fraud, then one of the biggest SFO prosecutions. I represented the principal financier. The case achieved public notoriety and involved the exploitation of 2200 separate purchasers netting the fraudsters £21 million. The brief contained two and a half million documents;
(iii) The Operation Norfolk prosecutions involving allegations of money laundering involving solicitors and professional persons. The case had an estimate of 9 months and the paper count was to exceed 500,000 documents.
(iv) I represented several high profile defendants in the Operation Draft prosecutions into international drugs trade and money laundering which involved major underworld informants and corrupt policemen;
(v) I have appeared in a number of high profile HMCE and other trials including R v White and others and R v Doran and Togher and others (Operation Stealer); R v Williams and others (the "Foxtrot 5" case involving 1.4 tonnes of cocaine); R v Ronald O'Sullivan; R v John Haase, Barry Oliver and others; R v England (a carousel fraud avoiding VAT); R v Whitehead, an SFO fraud using a complex matrix of interrelated foreign and UK based companies. Lately I represented a CPS officer accused of perverting the course of justice and misfeasance in public office.
(vi) Reported cases include R v Fadden (confiscation); R v McNamara (receipt of new evidence' following close of evidence); R v Chenia (drugs and company fraud, silence in interview); R v Veysi (determinate sentence when no future danger likely to exist following plea to manslaughter.); R v Malik (manslaughter by arson); R v Smith and Others (informant disclosure and handling issues); R v El Delby (money laundering, character and status of foreign convictions); R Whiteway and others (massive co-ordinated drug supply and confiscation involving allegations of "hidden assets").
I am co author with Alan Bates of "Marine Environmental Law" published by Lloyds Shipping Library.
