Nomination Process
September 2006
History
Under the Queen's Counsel Act, the Lieutenant-Governor
in Council, on the recommendation of the Attorney General,
may bestow on lawyers in British Columbia the honorary
title of Queen's Counsel (Q.C.) to recognize exceptional
merit and contribution to the legal profession.
Historically, the Law Society of British Columbia has
administered an informal process for seeking Q.C. nominations
each fall. To make this appointment process more transparent
and accessible, the Ministry of Attorney General now
has a formal system for nominating candidates.
The Process
In September of each year, the Attorney General will
send a call for nominations letter to the Judiciary,
the Law Society of B.C., the B.C. Branch of the Canadian
Bar Association, and the Trial Lawyers Association.
Anyone, outside of an immediate family member or candidates
themselves, can make a nomination by filling out a standard
application form. The application package must include:
A statement of support from two nominators
- A nominee's c.v. or brief biography
- As well, the package may include not more than five
letters of support.
All nominations are confidential. Nominators may be
contacted to clarify information provided, but will
not be updated on the status of the application. Application
information will not be made public.
Unsuccessful candidates may be nominated in subsequent
years; however, a complete application is required for
every nomination.
The application must be postmarked or e-mailed or
faxed no later than MIDNIGHT on
November 1, 2006. Appointments will be announced
at the end of the year.
Criteria
for Candidates
Candidates must:
- Belong to the B.C. Bar, and have been members for
at least five years.
- Demonstrate professional integrity, good character,
and excellence in the practice of law. Such excellence
could be determined by any of the following conditions:
- They are acknowledged by their peers as leading
counsel or exceptionally gifted practitioners.
- They have demonstrated exceptional qualities
of leadership in the profession, including in
the conduct of the affairs of the Canadian Bar
Association, the Law Society of British Columbia
and other legal organizations.
- They have done outstanding work in the fields
of legal education or legal scholarship.
Advisory
Committee
All applications will be reviewed by an advisory committee,
which will also recommend deserving candidates to the
Attorney General. The committee includes:
- The Chief Justice of British Columbia.
- The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British
Columbia.
- The Chief Judge of the Provincial Court.
- The President of the Law Society of British Columbia.
- A member of the Law Society appointed by the Benchers.
- The Deputy Attorney General.
The Attorney General continues to be able to directly
appoint exceptional lawyers who meet the eligibility
criteria. It is expected that this power will normally
be exercised in exceptional circumstances only.
Contact
Office of the Deputy Attorney General
PO BOX 9290 STN PROV GOVT
11th Floor, 1001 Douglas Street
Victoria, B.C. V8W 9J7
Phone: 250 356-0149
Email: AGDeputyQCAppt@gov.bc.ca
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