Attorney-General Vickie Chapman moving to bring back the Queen’s Counsel title in SA for top silks

What’s in a name? Apparently quite a bit for the state’s top law officer, as she asks State Parliament to bring back a traditional title for SA’s silks. TAKE OUR POLL ON THE ISSUE.

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Top lawyers in SA would again be able to get the traditional title of Queen’s Counsel, as the State Government moves to reinstate the honour.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman will introduce legislation to Parliament this week which would unwind changes made by the former Labor government in 2008.

The Supreme Court would still appoint legal practitioners as Senior Counsel, but anyone who has been or will be appointed an SC could in the future apply to the attorney-general to be appointed as QC.

Ms Chapman said bringing QCs back would offer greater flexibility to senior lawyers.

Currently, the title of Senior Counsel is awarded to those who have demonstrated outstanding ability as well as leadership within the profession.

Ms Chapman said: “This will give those lawyers who have been distinguished enough to earn this title the flexibility to choose the title they feel is most appropriate”.

She said Senior Counsels could readily be confused with a ‘special counsel’ that had not achieved the same distinction.

Ms Chapman’s predecessor as attorney-general, John Rau, was controversially appointed as an SC while still in Parliament and deputy premier.

It was a collective decision of the entire Supreme Court.

Ms Chapman said there was a move across the country to bring back the QC title, including in Queensland and Victoria, and it had support in SA.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Kyam Maher said Labor favoured the SC changes it had made in government, but would consider the details of Ms Chapman’s proposal.

Without Labor support, Ms Chapman would need to win backing from Upper House crossbenchers including the Greens and SA Best.