What do the initials QC or SC mean after a barristers name?
The initials QC stand for Queen’s Counsel and the initials S.C. stand for Senior Counsel. They mean that the Governor-in-Council has appointed the person to the office of Queen’s Counsel or from 2000, Senior Counsel, as a mark of the distinction of that person as an advocate or other legal practitioner. Usually QCs or S.C.s are assisted in their work both inside and outside court by a member of the junior bar. QCs and S.C.s may also be referred to as “silks” as they traditionally wear silk robes to Court. They are often distinguished from junior counsel by a rosette on the back of their robe. See our page on Taking silk.
