September 2008 HistoryUnder
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. To make this appointment process more transparent and
accessible, the Ministry of Attorney General now has a formal system for nominating
candidates. The
ProcessIn 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: - Nomination
Application Form;
- A statement of support from two nominators; and
- A
nominee's c.v. or brief biography.
The package must include a minimum
of two, but 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. Nominations are not carried
forward from year to year. Appointments
will be announced at the end of the year. The
Application must be e-mailed, faxed or postmarked no later than Midnight on
October
31, 2008. Only nominations received by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General
will be considered. (see below) Criteria
for CandidatesCandidates 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
CommitteeAll 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. ContactOffice
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
Fax:
250 387-6224
E-mail: AGDeputyQCAppt@gov.bc.ca
| 
