News - News - Ten New Ethnic Minority QCs Appointed

Ten new ethnic minority silks were appointed in 2006 compared to seven in 2003 and an unprecedented 175 lawyers were awarded silks under the new system of appointment set up in 2005 to radically overhaul the award of silks. The current appointment is the first appointments made since 2003.

The new system is run by the Bar Council and the Law Society through the new independent selection panel.

For details of the statistical analysis of the applicants, click this DCA link

How the new selection process works

When the new selection was set up in 2005, the hope was that many more solicitors, women and ethnic minority candidates will apply and that hope was realised as the number of women silks in 2006 is 33 and four solicitors were appointed in 2006 compared to one in 2003.

An Applicant now has to pay £1,800 fees to apply and once successful in the applications and made a QC will pay a further £2,250. The scheme is based on advocacy, both oral and written. Assessment is by applicants stating how they meet seven competency criteria: integrity; understanding and use of the law; analysing case material to develop arguments; persuading or communicating arguments; responding to the unfolding of the case, and working with the client and working in a team. They also need to provide referees who have encountered them at work, including from clients.

The referees are interviewed by phone and the candidates have a face-to-face interview with two members of the nine-member selection panel and a human resources expert where the panel look for evidence of “client care” or “people skills” and an understanding of diversity and cultural issues. The selection panel members are chosen through open competition. After interview, the panel grades the candidate, and then the full selection panel reviews the initial grades. There is a collective moderation and scrutiny of borderline cases before a final list is made. The final list of candidates goes to the Lord Chancellor, then to the Queen.

The most radical of the changes is that the panel will also have power to strip a candidate of his or her award although this does not affect QCs appointed up to 2003.

The requirement that the average earnings of QCs appointed must be £246,274 is no longer a criterion under new scheme.

For further information about the selection process see the independent panel website at www.qcapplications.org.uk/selectionpanel