Even in the Dickensian world of barristers, there is an unusual swirl of tradition around the coveted rank of silk. It’s a more than 500-year-old status, first granted by Queen Elizabeth I, which today allows an elite subset of senior barristers to charge more and often paves the way to the bench.The Australian Bar inherited these practices straight from the United Kingdom. There have been some efforts to modernise things, but in NSW at least, home to the country’s largest barrister population, there’s a much-criticised, almost medieval vestige: a system of “soundings”, where up to 600 judges and lawyers are polled secretly for their views on silk applicants.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
The UK proves that choosing silks doesn’t have to be so medieval
Choosing which barristers to become silk is a fraught process. Even the United Kingdom has brought its old system of “secret soundings” into the 21st century.
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