Applications for Senior Counsel Open

Applications are now open for solicitors and barristers to apply to the Advisory Committee on Patents of Precedence to use the title of Senior Counsel.

The Advisory Committee has been established under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.

It has established the criteria – as set out in the objectives in section 173(2) of the Act – to be met by a legal practitioner in order for a recommendation to be made by the Advisory Committee to the Government that a Patent of Precedence be granted to him or her.

The grant of a Patent of Precedence in relation to a barrister entitles him or her to be called to the Inner Bar and to use the title of Senior Counsel; and in relation to a solicitor, entitles him or her to use the title of Senior Counsel.

The Advisory Committee consists of:

The Chief Justice (Chairperson of the Committee),
The President of the Court of Appeal,
The President of the High Court,
The Attorney General,
The Chairperson of the Bar Council,
The President of the Law Society and
Dr Don Thornhill, a lay member of the Authority (and its chair) nominated by the Minister for Justice and Equality.

How to Apply

The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 5pm on 24 July 2020.

For further details and information on how to submit an application, please see the page Applications for Senior Counsel.

ENDS – Posted 30 June 2020

Important Notice for Applicants – Email File Size Limits: Please note that applications containing a substantial number of attachments may exceed maximum email file size limits. Please contact [email protected] for assistance with applications which included extensive file attachments.