Kenneth Clarke appoints Queen's Counsel
皇冠体育app Lord Chancellor Kenneth Clarke presided over the swearing in of this year's 120 Queen's Counsel (QC) and six Honorary Queen's Counsel.
皇冠体育app ceremony is held every year in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster in London.
It awards the rank of Queen鈥檚 Counsel to either practising barristers or practising solicitors with Higher Courts Rights of Audience, who have demonstrated excellence in the higher courts.
皇冠体育app honorary rank is made to lawyers, including legal academics, who have made a major contribution to the law of England and Wales outside practice in the courts. It is not a 鈥榳orking title鈥� and cannot be used by the holders in practice.聽
Because members wear silk gowns of a particular design, the award of Queen鈥檚 Counsel is also known as 鈥榯aking silk鈥�.
Appointment process
皇冠体育app appointment of QCs is run by an independent selection panel, which makes its recommendations to the Lord Chancellor, who passes them on to Her Majesty 皇冠体育app Queen if he is satisfied with them.
Nominations for Honorary Queen鈥檚 Counsel are made to the Lord Chancellor, who on the advice of an independent panel organised by the Ministry of Justice, makes recommendations to 皇冠体育app Queen.
皇冠体育app competition for Silk 2011-12 is now open and applications close on 20 April. An announcement about nominations for Honorary Queen鈥檚 Counsel will be made in early summer.