Applications are now open for solicitors and barristers to apply to the Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence to use the title of Senior Counsel.
Legal practitioners may apply to be granted a Patent of Precedence under Section 174 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (as amended).
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.
Each year the Government grants Patents of Precedence to barristers and solicitors based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence.
The Advisory Committee was established under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 on 2 April 2020.
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority provides administrative and secretarial support to the Advisory Committee.
This is the sixth annual round of Patents of Precedence applications to the Advisory Committee under section 174 of the Act. It is for recommendations to be made by the Advisory Committee to Government in 2025.
How to Apply
For further details and information on how to submit an application, please see the page Applications for Senior Counsel.
The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 5pm on Friday 4 April 2025.
ENDS