John Cooper QC believes advocacy skills are an essential consideration during silk selection
It was with some sadness that I read Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC’s comment.
Firstly I congratulate him upon his acceptance of the honour, it is richly deserved for the peerless work he has undertaken in a lifetime of legal service to the public. But given his rather selective attack upon the silk appointment process, I wonder why he did accept the status. It is right that the facts should be set out clearly and his observations put into context.
The fundamentals
Sir Geoffrey’s fundamental complaint is that the system of appointing silks is a “glorification of advocacy” and that by concentrating upon its stated aim of identifying excellence in higher court advocacy, it excludes the majority of solicitors from obtaining the status of QC. He opines that it is hard to define the skills of an advocate and in any event it does not lend itself to identifying excellent mediators.
The application forms which are required to
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