Quick Facts:

  • The first Queen’s Counsel was in 1594 when Queen Elizabeth I reserved Francis Bacon as her legal advisor.
  • There were 179 nominations for this honour this year in B.C.
  • Only 7% of practising B.C. lawyers can be awarded the designation of QC.
  • Currently there are 489 QCs out of 11,245 practising members of the bar.

The advisory committee for Queen’s counsel appointments includes:

  • The Chief Justice of B.C.
  • The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of B.C.
  • The Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of B.C.
  • The president of the Law Society of B.C. (LSBC)
  • The president of the Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch (CBABC)
  • A Law Society of B.C. member appointed by the benchers (directors) and
  • B.C.’s Deputy Attorney General

Visit the Attorney General’s website for more information about the Queen’s Counsel designation.