Some 14 applicants who declared an ethnic origin other than white were successful, out of 30 who applied (compared to 22 out of 42 last year). The youngest QC-to-be is 35 years old, and the most senior is 58.
Amanda Pinto QC, Chair of the Bar Council said: ‘Huge congratulations to all the newly appointed QCs!
‘This badge of honour is a source of pride, recognised globally as a mark of the exceptionally high-quality advocacy of the Bar of England and Wales. Because of coronavirus, the traditional QC appointment ceremony will not take place in March but, we are delighted that, after we raised this issue with the Lord Chancellor, he has confirmed that new QCs will be able to use their title in the normal timeframe.’
Sir Alex Allan, Chair of the Selection Panel, said: ‘I congratulate each one of them.
‘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. Those applicants who are not filtered out following consideration of the assessments are then interviewed by two members of the Selection Panel, following which the whole Panel discuss all the evidence on each interviewed applicant.
‘We were particularly pleased that for the first year ever, the number of women appointed―40, which amounts to 34% of the total appointed, is almost equal to the proportion of women in the relevant segment of the profession.
‘The number of BAME (black, Asian or minority ethnic) applicants appointed, although lower than last year’s record total of 22, is also almost equal to the proportion of BAME advocates in the relevant segment of the profession.’
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