Monday 26 February 2018

QC; The New Silks Appointed; Queen's Counsel


Alex, Westminster Hall, London


A snow-storm and sub-zero temperatures, but the Lord Chancellor made this a special occasion for all the new silks and their families. He reminded those present that Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, KC (1561 – 1626) was the first person to be designated a QC/KC (at about the time that his famous Essays were first published).

Francis Bacon, Of Judicature

"Judges ought to be more learned, than witty, more reverend, than plausible,and more advised, than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue...The principal duty of a judge, is to suppress force and fraud; whereof force is the more pernicious, when it is open, and fraud, when it is close and disguised...Judges must beware of hard constructions, and strained inferences; for there is no worse torture, than the torture of laws...In causes of life and death, judges ought (as far as the law permitteth) in justice to remember mercy; and to cast a severe eye upon the example, but a merciful eye upon the person".

This probably applies to QCs too.












Lord Chancellor welcomes promotion of new silks - Her Majesty The Queen has approved the appointment of 119 new Queen's Counsel, from gov.uk.

Queen's Counsel

On the way to the Ceremony (in a blizzard)


Celebrating in Soho:



The Daily Telegraph, 27 February 2018:



"A senior barrister leaves the Palace of Westminster after being appointed Queens Counsel (QC), colloquially known as silks, following a swearing-in ceremony presided over by the Lord Chancellor, David Gauke MP. A total of 119 barristers were selected". See Zimbio Pictures




 Westminster Hall 
Michael Angelo Rooker ARA (1746 - 1801)
Collection of BNY Mellon; photography by Adam Milliron


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