Celebrations were taking place around chambers today as 113 lawyers received news they are to be appointed Queen’s Counsel.
This year’s crop of silks include 31 women (out of 56 who applied), 16 black and minority ethnic (BAME) applicants (of 37 who applied), and 20 applicants above the age of 50.
A total of 254 lawyers submitted applications. In the 2015-2016 round, 237 applicants applied and 107 were successful.
Congratulating the successful applicants, Helen Pitcher, Chairman of the Selection Panel, said: “The selection process is exceptionally thorough.
“The application form itself is comprehensive and time consuming; we then 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. Those with sufficient evidence of excellence are interviewed by one legal and one lay member of the Panel.
“The Selection Panel as a whole then considers all the evidence and makes a collective decision as to which applicants should be recommended for appointment.”
Six of the new QCs are solicitors, the highest number appointed in one round so far. They are: Jonathan Taylor, partner at Bird & Bird; Adam Johnson, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills; Benjamin Juratowitch, partner at Freshfields (the second partner to take silk); John Savage, partner at King & Spalding (the third QC in the office); David Kavanagh, partner at Skaddens; and Michael Young, partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Some 13 solicitors applied.
Liz Truss, the Lord Chancellor, said: “The number of women and BAME candidates applying and being successful is moving in the right direction.
“There is more to be done, but my message is clear—when you widen the pool of talent from which lawyers and judges are drawn, you make the justice system stronger.”
The new Queen's Counsel will formally become silks on 13 February at the swearing-in ceremony.
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