Law Weblog

129 QUEEN’S COUNSEL APPOINTED IN 2009-10 COMPETITION

Friday 26 February 2010 at 7:44 am | In News | Post Comment The fourth round of appointments as Queen’s Counsel was announced today. These appointments are made following consideration by the independent Selection Panel, which recommends who should receive this highly sought-after award. All those appointed have demonstrated excellence in advocacy in the higher courts.

Professor Dame Joan Higgins, Chair of the QC Selection Panel, said today:

I have great pleasure at the announcement of these 129 names. I warmly congratulate all those whose appointment has been announced today. It is encouraging to see such a wide variety of advocates among the new appointments.

The Selection Panel believes that the quality of applications this year was higher than ever. Nevertheless, inevitably, some applicants have had to be disappointed. The standard for appointment is very high. Even if an advocate has not been appointed on this occasion it does not mean that he or she is not a valued and effective practitioner.

The Selection Panel would also like to express its warm appreciation to the 1700 assessors who provided evidence on behalf of one or more applicants and without whom the process could not have worked effectively. All the Panel’s decisions have been based solely on the evidence provided by these assessors and by the applicants themselves.

I am encouraged that the proportion of successful applicants from an ethnic minority background broadly matches that for white applicants. I am also pleased that the number of successful women applicants remains high.

It is disappointing that we have not been able to recommend more solicitors or employed advocates, after the higher number of appointments last year. But all applicants are assessed against a common competency framework and a common standard of excellence. There are no quotas, and we treat all applications in the same way. I hope that there will be further appointments in future years.

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP, announced today the names of 129 Queen’s Counsel from 275 applicants.

The 129 (47% of all applicants) appointed this year included:

· 20 women applicants (43% of the 46 who applied). In the previous competition 16 women (55% of 29) were appointed.
· 17 applicants who declared an ethnic origin other than white (49% of the 35 who applied, 13% of all applicants), a higher proportion than in the previous competition when 4 applicants (27%) were appointed.
· 1 solicitor advocate (10% of the 10 who applied). In 2009 4 applications were received of whom 3 (75%) were appointed.
· 6 applicants aged 55 or over (24% of this age group) as at the closing date for applications(compared to 5 applicants (20%) in 2009)

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