The aspirationals … Another year … Another dramatic folly touches the list of 2019 applicants for silk in NSW … The list is out and here it is … Surely, Smallbone is smarting at this latest turn of events
The list is now in circulation but a source tell us that it contains the names of people who didn’t intend to submit applications.
Rather than admit (another) embarrassing error it is understood that nabobs at the grill decided that those barristers who mysteriously found themselves on the list should nonetheless be invited to apply – some 16 days after applications closed.
In 2014 barrister David Smallbone had the misfortune to be 12 minutes late with his silk application and then was unsuccessful in a Supreme Court case to require the bar to give him an extension of time.
Jane Needham, the then president of the association, in an email to CEO Philip Selth said, “late is late”.
We sought a response from the bar association about this fresh listical mix-up and were told:
“The NSW Bar Association does not comment on issues relating to senior counsel applications. The process is a confidential one.”
It’s the sort of “no comment” that says everything.
There are 99 contenders for silk in 2019, 16 percent of who are women. In the previous year 116 had their hands up and only 19 got the call – and here are their biographical details.
In 2017 there were only 11 winners.
Paul Glissan is the most senior brief wanting silk, treading the boards since 1974.
The numbers for senior counsel applications over the past five years look like this:
2018 116 (15.5% women)
2017 92 (19.5% women)
2016 101 (11.8% women)
2015 113 (9.7% women)
2014 102 (15.7% women)
The bar’s map of gender, seniority and age is here.
So, here we go with the hopefuls for 2019. The first page is here … visit here for the full parade.
Justinian’s preference is that everyone who wants to be should be appointed senior counsel – and in that way this overwrought vanity will be devalued and ultimately disappear.
There can never be too much fun during SC season time. Our previous five years coverage of successive silk festivals is here …