Neville Sarony July 15, 2021 06:00
What is the significance of the title Senior Counsel in Hong Kong? Whatever it is, the Secretary for Justice wants to change it.
Focus, if you will, on the word counsel which is a synonym for barrister, of which there are two ranks, Senior and Junior.
All barristers who are not Senior Counsel (SC), regardless of their age, are designated Junior counsel.
The word barrister is derived from the physical barrier in a courtroom between counsel and the judge or judges who sit on the bench.
Traditionally, the procedure by which someone becomes a barrister in England and Wales is termed ‘Called to the Bar’ and historically, only the Inns of Court, Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, the Middle and Inner Temples are permitted to call someone to the Bar.