Criminal; Regulatory

David Temkin KC is a stand-out silk who is in extremely high demand. His reputation is for meticulous attention to detail, rigorous advocacy and exceptional client care. He prosecutes and defends in equal measure and with equal commitment. For many years, David has been recommended in the UK’s Legal Directories where descriptions include “thorough, meticulous and courageous”, “extraordinarily good” and “a lovely person to work with”. The Legal 500 2023 notes David’s ability to “lead a jury to exactly where they need to be, in order to get the result he has been instructed to achieve”.

David was appointed King’s Counsel in March 2021, after two decades specialising in criminal work (prosecuting and defending). Prior to taking silk, David was a Grade 4 Prosecutor and an approved advocate on both the Serious Crime Group Panel and the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Panel. He spent 15 years on the Attorney-General’s List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates. He acted for the General Medical Council for a number of years. He represented police officers before their disciplinary tribunal and at the Crown Court.

Highlights of David’s work as King’s Counsel include prosecuting and defending murders (domestic and gangland), manslaughters, shootings and drug conspiracies. David undertakes both legally-aided and privately-funded work. He has enjoyed particular successes defending in privately-funded sex cases.

David sits in the Crown Court as a criminal recorder (appointed in 2018; authorised to sit on serious sexual cases in 2019). He is an approved advocacy trainer for the Inner Temple (where he was elected as a Governing Bencher in 2021) and for the Northern Circuit (where he is Head of Continuing Education). David conducts advocacy training internationally. In 2023, he trained prosecutors at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. This year, he has trained advocates in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. David is currently Visiting Professor at the BPP University Law School.

Called 2000; Silk 2021; Category 4 Prosecutor; Attorney General's Unified List of Prosecutors (2006); National List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates in Health & Safety and Environmental Law (2012); Visiting Lecturer in “Professional Discipline” at the BPP University on the Bar Professional Training Course; Trainer on courses around the UK for Healthcare Professionals and Medical Expert Witnesses