Soheil J Khan

Year of call:

2007

Education:

2000 - Bradford College, LLB (Hons)

2001 - King’s College London, PGDip

2006 - BPP Law School, BVC

Career:

2007 - Pupil at 12 Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London

2008 - Tenant at 12 Old Square Chambers

2009 - Tenant at 39 Park Square Chambers, Leeds

2010 - Tenant at No 6, Leeds

2015 - No 6 becomes Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

Grade 4 Prosecutor (North Eastern & South Eastern Circuits) Grade 4 Rape & Serious Sexual Offences Panel (North Eastern & South Eastern Circuits)

2020 - CPS External Advocacy Assessor

Memberships:

North Eastern Circuit South Eastern Circuit Lincoln's Inn

Languages:

Arabic

Punjabi

Urdu

Ranked in The Legal 500 (2024) for Crime.

Soheil  specialises in criminal defence and prosecution work. His work includes serious crime and in particular homicide, honour crimes, offences of violence, serious sexual offences, terrorism and fraud. He has extensive experience in each of these areas and has acted as led junior on numerous occasions.

“He is conscientious and hardworking with a strong court presence. A robust cross-examiner with a good jury manner.” – The Legal 500 (2024)

He is a devastating cross-examiner and particularly effective in cut-throat cases.” – Legal 500 (2023)

“He is tactically astute, charming and persuasive in court. He shines in cases where the small details make the difference between success and failure.” – The Legal 500 (2022)

“A brutally effective and fearless cross-examiner who draws strength from his uncompromising preparation.” – The Legal 500 (2021)

“His attention to detail and tactical judgement is truly excellent.”- The Legal 500, 2020

Soheil is an experienced trial advocate, and since the start of his career has received instructions in cases involving vulnerable witnesses and defendants, as well as cases in which his linguistic abilities prove particularly useful.

He is a Grade 4 prosecutor and is appointed as a CPS Grade 4 Rape List prosecutor with extensive experience of prosecuting in most of the aforementioned areas, including multi-handed trials.

Notable cases

  • 2020 – R v T and others. appeared as junior counsel for one of 7 defendants charged with an alleged revenge murder in response to a burglary in the Hartlepool area. The trial took place at Teesside Crown Court, lasted some 7 weeks and received significant media attention.
  • 2018 – R v R and others. Leading Counsel for Crown (led Giles grant). Prosecuted a number of defendants charged with conspiracy to rob, linked to a murder investigation.
  • 2018 – R v M & M. Prosecution of a couple charged with serious child abuse offences.
  • 2018 – R v C. Prosecution of 76 year old defendant for sexual offences spanning 5 decades.
  • 2017 – R v G – prosecution of the stranger—rape. The case involved presentation of extensive CCTV footage, and issues of legal professional privilege.
  • 2017 R v B and others. Represented one of 6 defendants charged as part of a murder investigation in Leeds, with assisting an offender. The case was tried by Langstaff J. presentation of the defence case involved cut throat defences and arguments as to the admissibility of hearsay between defendants, as well as challenges to the police investigation.
  • R v N and others. Defended one of six defendants charged with people trafficking offences.
  • R v T-B. Led Junior (led by Abdul Iqbal QC). Allegations including attempted murder and section18, following a shooting in the West Bowling area of Bradford.
  • R v A I (Operation Belle, 2014) – Multi-handed case. Represented the only defendant to be acquitted of conspiracy to defraud and money-laundering offences, arising from council tax rebanding schemes. The matter was prosecuted by Trading Standards and attracted wide-scale media coverage.
  • R v A K and others, Manchester Crown Court (2014) – Led junior for the first of 3 defendants charged with murder and perverting the course of justice. Cross-examined the second defendant who was running a cut-throat defence against our client. The case received international media coverage.
  • R v M, Preston Crown Court (2014) – Successfully represented a teenager charged with the attempted rape of a fellow college student outside her house.
  • R v S, Bradford Crown Court (2014) – Led junior in a case involving allegations of baby-shaking resulting in a prosecution under section 18 OAPA. The case involved 9 expert witnesses and evidence arising from previous proceedings in the family courts.
  • Calderdale Borough Council v A (2013) – Defended the first of 3 defendants charged with a catalogue of food hygiene offences, following the discovery of 8,000 cockroaches at a take-away in Halifax, reported as ‘the worst infestation of its kind’.
  • R v K, Bradford Crown Court (2013) – Successfully prosecuted a 42-year-old man charged with the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in his neighbourhood.
  • R v N, Leeds Crown Court (2013) – Successfully defended a young man charged with the production of cannabis, his fingerprints having been discovered on 34 pieces of apparatus in a derelict house.
  • R v S, Leeds Crown Court (2013) – Successfully defended a young man charged with the rape of an ex-girlfriend.
  • R v S, Manchester Mishull St Crown Court (2013) – Represented a counter-terrorism police officer charged with kidnapping, threats to kill and a very serious assault on his own sister arising from ‘honour motives’, following the sister’s marriage to a Sunni Muslim.
  • Operation Psyche, Preston Crown Court (2013) – Represented one of 8 defendants charged with a wide-ranging conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in the Blackburn area.
  • R v A, Bradford Crown Court (2013) – Successfully represented one of 3 brothers charged with offences arising from a screwdriver-stabbing in Halifax. Involved the cross-examination of several young & vulnerable witnesses.
  • Operation Argonaut, Central Criminal Court (2012-2013) – Led Junior in case involving allegations under sections 5 and 58 of the Terrorism Act. The matter was contracted by the LSC with a page count in excess of 53,000.
  • Operation Kern, Derby Crown Court (2012) – Represented one of 10 defendants charged with sexual grooming/child sex offences. Successfully argued joinder and admissibility of various strands of evidence.
  • R v A, Bradford Crown Court (2012) – Represented one of a number of defendants charged with conspiracy to defraud and money-laundering offences arising from multiple mortgage frauds.
  • R v A, Operation Sumbing, Leeds Crown Court (2012) – Represented the only one of 6 defendants to receive not-guilty verdicts, having alleged to have acted as a witness to a sham marriage. The case received local press coverage.
  • R v H, Birmingham Crown Court (2012) – Successfully defended one of 3 brothers charged with 3 counts of section 18. The incident arose from a large-scale street-fight in which the 3 complainants received life-threatening injuries.
  • R v A, Leeds Crown Court (2012) – Defended a respected Leeds estate agent charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment. The case involved the cross-examination of several witnesses aged under 16. The defendant was unanimously acquitted.
  • R v McDonagh and Others, Operation Audi, Winchester Crown Court (2011) – Multi-handed conspiracy to steal in the Hampshire area.
  • R v I, Bradford Crown Court (2011) – Allegation of repeated sexual assaults by a middle-aged defendant on a 13-year-old complainant at a busy West Yorkshire swimming pool. Defendant unanimously acquitted following trial.
  • R v F, Harrow Crown Court (2011) – Case involving historic sexual abuse by a paternal uncle. The trial involved cross-examination of a 7-year-old complainant.
  • R v Kuner, Isleworth Crown Court (2011) – Allegation of robbery. The complainant died following the alleged offence, having made a dying declaration as to the identity of the assailant. The Crown made an application under the hearsay provisions of the CJA 2003. Following lengthy legal submissions on the hearsay provisions and the House of Lords judgement in R v Horncastle, the judge ruled the hearsay evidence inadmissible. The Crown accordingly offered no evidence.
  • R v Fitzpatrick [2010] EWCA Crim 1633 – Successful appeal against sentence in a dangerous driving case (sustained road-rage incident on the A1 at Grantham). Sentence reduced from 15 months to 10 months’ imprisonment, taking into account the judgement in R v Watson [2008] 1 Cr App R (S) 55.
  • R v I, Huntingdon Crown Court (2009) – Allegation of repeated sexual assaults by a taxi-driver on two 12-year-old passengers. Defendant acquitted unanimously following trial.

Contact Soheil’s clerks

Andrew Thornton on 0113 213 5202

Gina Hawkins on 0113 213 5205

Rebecca Wilson on 0113 213 5203

Hannah Dempsey on 0113 213 5211

Lucy Finney on 0113 213 5220