The process by which NSW barristers are appointed senior counsel is an important but opaque part of the legal system.Each year, a silk committee (made up of the Bar president, vice president, four other silks, a former judge and community representative) circulates the list of applicants to a consultation group. About 600 practitioners and judges are free to comment on the applicants, and their response is often just a “yes”, “not yet” or “no”.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles