Queen's Counsel

English

Etymology

queen's + counsel

Noun

Queen's Counsel (plural Queen's Counsel or Queen's Counsels, abbreviation QC)

1. (UK, Canada, New Zealand, occasionally Australia) An honorific status officially conferred on senior or meritorious barristers (and occasionally other kinds of lawyer) during the reign of a queen.
   • 2003, Lisa Pulitzer, Murder in Paradise: The Mystery Surrounding the Murder of American Lois Livingston McMillen, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Paperbacks, →ISBN, page 166:

     Archibald was one of two Queen’s Counsels on Tortola, a distinguished title that permitted attorneys to be seated at the lead defense table when arguing a case before the court.

   • 2020, Brian Deer, “Unblinded”, in The Doctor Who Fooled the World: Andrew Wakefield’s War on Vaccines, Brunswick, Vic.: Scribe Publications, →ISBN:

     Barr’s three Queen’s Counsel absorbed Kawashima as they pored over reports from both sides.

2. (UK, historical) A barrister or advocate appointed by the Crown during the reign of a queen.

Usage notes

• During the reign of a king, the position is styled King's Counsel (KC).

Related terms

• Senior Counsel
• take silk

Translations

a barrister

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 御用大律師／御用大律师 (yùyòng dàlǜshī)

• German: Kronanwalt m, Kronanwältin f
• Volapük: (of the crown ♂♀) kronalavogan, (♂) kronahilavogan, (♀) kronajilavogan

an honorific status

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} conseiller de la Reine