John Leonard Knox Explained

Honorific-Prefix:	Sir
Sir John Knox
Office:	Justice of the High Court
Term Start:	26 July 1985
Term End:	30 September 1996
Birth Date:	6 August 1925
Death Place:	St Clare's Care Home East Sussex
Nationality:	British
Occupation:	Judge
Profession:	Barrister

Sir John Leonard Knox (6 August 1925 – 28 May 2015) was a British High Court judge, sitting in the Chancery division.^{[1] [2] [3]}

He was appointed on 26 July 1985, and retired on 30 September 1996. Whilst sitting he was styled as Mr Justice Knox or Knox J.

Prior to his elevation to the bench, Sir John practised as a barrister from what is now termed Radcliffe Chambers.^[4]

He was Attorney-General of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1984 to 1986.

Notable cases

Notable judicial decisions that Knox J was involved in included:

• Smith v Croft (No 2) [1988] Ch 114 relating to derivative claims.
• Re Produce Marketing Consortium Ltd (No 2) [1989] 5 BCC 569 relating to wrongful trading.
• Re New Bullas Trading Ltd [1994] 1 BCLC 485 at first instance, relating to floating charges. Knox J's decision at first instance was reversed by the Court of Appeal, but that decision was later overruled by the House of Lords in Re Spectrum Plus Ltd. 2005. UKHL. 41., effectively validating Knox J's original decision.
• Re MC Bacon Ltd (No 1) [1990] BCLC 324 at the preliminary strike-out stage, relating to wrongful trading and unfair preferences.
• Re Curtain Dream plc [1990] BCLC 925 in relation to recharacterisation.

Arms

Motto:

Moveo Et Proficior ^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: John Leonard Knox. Companychecker.co.uk. 22 June 2017.
2. Web site: Sir John Leonard Knox. 22 June 2017.
3. Web site: Sir John Knox. Peerage news. 22 June 2017.
4. Web site: History of Radcliffe Chambers. 22 June 2017. 6 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306032621/http://www.radcliffechambers.com/news-and-cases/history-of-chambers/. dead.
5. Web site: Lincoln's Inn Great Hall, Ed33 Knox, J . 13 July 2009 . Baz Manning . 19 December 2020.