# What a King’s Counsel does

> How a King’s Counsel is appointed. What a KC does that a junior barrister does not, and when it is worth instructing one.

Source: https://www.imranshafikc.com/insights/what-a-kc-does

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# What a King’s Counsel does

A King’s Counsel is a senior barrister appointed for excellence in advocacy, usually after twenty years or more in practice. KCs take the most serious and complex cases, normally leading a junior barrister. About one barrister in ten is a KC.

Last checked against the law on 22 October 2026.

## What the appointment is

King’s Counsel is awarded by an independent selection panel against published competencies, on evidence from judges and opponents. It is not a job title or a promotion within a firm, and it cannot be bought or applied for lightly.

The older name is Queen’s Counsel; the letters changed in 2022 and the appointment is the same one.

## What a KC actually does in a case

Leads the defence: the legal argument about what the jury may hear, the cross-examination of the main prosecution witnesses, and the speeches.

In a heavy case a KC is instructed with a junior barrister, who does much of the written preparation. That is a division of labour, not a hierarchy of care.

## When you need one

Where the allegation is at the most serious end, where the case is long or has many defendants, or where it turns on a legal argument rather than on the facts.

A KC is not automatically the right answer. In a straightforward case an experienced junior may be better value and just as effective, and a good set will tell you that.

## What to do about it

If you are not sure whether your case warrants a silk, ask. He would rather say so than take an instruction that does not need one.

This page explains a process. It is not legal advice and it is not a substitute for it: what is right in your case depends on facts that are not on this page.

## Related

- [Barrister or solicitor: the difference](https://www.imranshafikc.com/insights/barrister-or-solicitor)
- [The duty solicitor, or your own lawyer](https://www.imranshafikc.com/insights/duty-solicitor-or-your-own)
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