Champagne is being served at chambers across the country after 93 new silks were announced.
The lucky recipients of the prestigious rank of Queen’s Counsel will be formally appointed at a ceremony at Westminster Hall on 16 February. Among them will be just 25 women (out of 42 who applied), although this is more than last year’s 18 female silks out of 42 applicants. Ten of the new silks are non-white. Nine are aged over 50, out of 35 50-plus candidates in this year’s round. The youngest new silk is 38 years old, and the oldest is 58. A mere five are solicitor advocates—all of them are arbitration specialists at high-profile firms.
Helen Pitcher, chairmanof the selection panel, says: “The selection process is a rigorous and demanding one.
“We collect confidential assessments from judges, fellow advocates and professional clients, who give freely of their time to provide evidence about an applicant’s demonstration of the competencies. The best applicants are then interviewed by two members of the panel, following which the whole panel discuss all the evidence on each applicant.
“We remain concerned that the number of female applicants remains stubbornly low, but I am pleased that of those women who did apply, 58% were successful. BAME applicants had exactly the same success rate (42%) as other applicants.”
Six Honorary QCs have also been appointed, including employment solicitor Camilla Palmer, who founded the charity, Your Employment Settlement Service, which resolves workplace disputes without litigation. Palmer is also a part-time employment tribunal judge and specialist in discrimination issues.
Also honoured are Professor Ian Kennedy, specialist in law and medical ethics and currently chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; Professor Geraint Wynn Thomas, barrister and academic; Ian Ward, barrister at the Ministry of Defence; Professor Ewan McKendrick, barrister and academic; and Professor Robert Merkin, specialist in arbitration and insurance.
