11 January 2019

New Silks

Following release of the results of the 2018 Queens Counsel (QC) competition, we are delighted to announce that James Rivett and David Yates will be formally appointed to Silk on the 11th March 2019.  Any enquiries in relation to either counsel should be initially addressed to the Senior Clerk, Nigel Jones

PRESS RELEASE (for immediate release)

108 NEW QUEEN’S COUNSEL APPOINTED IN 2018 COMPETITION

 The appointments of 108 new Queen’s Counsel (also known as silk) are announced today.

These appointments are made by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, David Gauke MP, following consideration by the independent Queen’s Counsel Selection Panel.

Sir Alex Allan, Chair of the Selection Panel, said today:

’I am delighted at the announcement of the new silks. 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. Some applicants are filtered out following consideration of the assessments. The remaining applicants are interviewed by two members of the Selection Panel, following which the whole Panel discuss all the evidence on each interviewed applicant.

We remain concerned that the number of female applicants remains comparatively low, but I am pleased that of those women who did apply, well over 50% were successful. I was also pleased to note that the number of BAME applicants appointed was in proportion to their representation amongst applicants, and amongst the relevant cohort of the profession.    

 Each year, the Panel has the difficult task of identifying the truly excellent advocates. I am confident that those appointed today truly deserve to be Queen’s Counsel. “

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