Scoop … Another year and the NSW bar throws up a large quantity of contestants for a new round of the Silk Games … Full list invites inspection … Favourite names reappear
At least 15.5 percent of those with their hands up are women barristers, down on last year’s female proposition of 19.5 percent.
There are some familiar old names in this year’s list and they should get top marks for consistency and effort.
The selection process is clouded in tribal mysteries, politics and ouija board techniques. It would be fairer to appoint all 116 as senior counsel and so avoid the contention and simmering resentments.
Possibly the entire NSW bar should be silked and then a new category called Super Silk could be implemented.
At least there doesn’t seem to be any significant monarchial tendencies at the NSW bar, as most of the country club set have given-up on the Queen’s Counsel mission.
Here are the numbers for the previous four years:
Here are the bar’s statistics for the male/female/seniority/age profile.
Here are last year’s winners, a tiny list of 11.
And here is the first page of the 2018 aspirants. Click the page to read the rest … Bon chance to all.
See Justinian’s previous four years’ reports on SC applications: