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Queen's Counsel

American  

Queen's Counsel British  

noun

  1. Also called (when the sovereign is male): King's Counsel. (in England when the sovereign is female) a barrister or advocate appointed Counsel to the Crown on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, entitled to sit within the bar of the court and to wear a silk gown

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Queen's Counsel

First recorded in 1855–60


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Barristers are updating their business cards from Queen’s Counsel to King’s, but no one needs a fresh appointment at the bar.

From New York Times ● Oct. 9, 2022

Queen’s Counsel barrister Nick Vineall, representing the Maduro-backed central bank, said that rather than being “fatal” to his side’s case, the UK foreign secretary’s statement had instead supported it.

From Reuters ● Jul. 19, 2021

But Mullen was riled by the leading defense barristers, who were all Queen’s Counsel, the finest trial lawyers in Britain.

From The New Yorker ● May 20, 2019

The FA then sought advice on the evidence gathered from independent Queen's Counsel.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 22, 2012

Then arose from the Queen’s Counsel row, Mr. Ricochet to apply for a rule nisi for a new trial in the cause of Bumpkin v.

From The Humourous Story of Farmer Bumpkin's Lawsuit by Richard Harris

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