Mr Justice Robin Knowles went to school in Kent and studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was called to the Bar in 1982, and joined South Square Chambers, where he had a commercial practice with an emphasis on banking and financial matters. Sir Robin was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1999, and he became a Recorder in 2000 and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2006. An active member of the Commercial Bar Association, Sir Robin was Chairman of the Association from 2005 to 2007. He also participated in a number of initiatives relating to the justice system and the legal professions, including the introduction of the Civil Procedure Rules, the Rolls Building project, and the reform of the Queen’s Counsel appointment system. Sir Robin has been a High Court Judge since 2014. “Knowles” is a popular name for High Court Judges, and Sir Robin is formally known as “Mr Justice Robin Knowles” to prevent confusion.

Mr Justice Knowles has day-to-day responsibility for the running of SIFoCC, the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts. He is also a long-standing champion of legal pro bono services, and was awarded the CBE in 2007 in recognition of his work in this area. In his spare time, he is a local history enthusiast, with a particular interest in the story of London’s East End.