King’s Counsel, Queen’s Counsel

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• King’s Counsel
  • Plural form
  • Abbreviated form
    • Informal usage
• Queen’s Counsel

King’s Counsel

King’s Counsel is an honorary title traditionally bestowed on experienced lawyers who have demonstrated excellence in, and made significant contributions to, the legal profession.

Plural form

In law, the term counsel can refer to one lawyer or to a group of lawyers. Therefore, the plural of the title King’s Counsel is the same as the singular:

• Because King’s Counsel wear a special silk gown, the expression taking silk is sometimes used to refer to the appointment.

Abbreviated form

Lawyers who have been granted the title of King’s Counsel may write KC or K.C. after their name.

• Margaret Paton Hyndman, KC, was the first Canadian woman to be appointed King’s Counsel.

Informal usage

Informally, a lawyer with this title may be called “a KC” or “a K.C.” (plural: “KCs” or “K.C.’s”).

• Andrée knew her community and political work might favour her appointment as a KC.
• The charity marathon attracted many local K.C.’s.

However, this usage is not recommended in formal writing.

Queen’s Counsel

Note that when sovereignty is passed from king to queen, a King’s Counsel automatically becomes a Queen’s Counsel (abbreviated QC or Q.C.), and vice versa.