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To QC or not QC
Victorian silks will once again have the option to be a Queen’s Counsel.
Justin Whealing
Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark announced yesterday (3 February) that silk appointees in the state will have the option to have the title Queen’s Counsel or Senior Counsel.
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“We welcome this option which allows a choice between the two titles,” said Will Alstergren SC, the chairman of the Victorian Bar.
Victoria ditched the QC title in favour of SC in 2000.
It has now followed Queensland’s lead in restoring QC, with the Sunshine State dumping SC altogether in reviving the QC title in 2013.
“The re-introduction of QCs will also help clear up confusion because a number of other titles are abbreviated to SC, including Special Counsel and the Star of Courage,” said Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie in 2013, in support of the switch to QC.
Seventy of that state’s 73 senior counsels changed their title to QC in the wake of that announcement.
In Victoria, current senior counsels will now have the option to retain the SC title or switch to QC.
NSW, WA, SA and the ACT retain the SC title.
The Northern Territory was the only Australian jurisdiction not to dump QC.
