Queen’s death: Top lawyers called KC’s for first time in 70 years
The death of the UK’s longest reigning monarch, and the coronation of King Charles III, will mean lawyers forced to familiarise themselves with a series of semantic shakeups in Britain’s court system as all references to the Queen are switched out for references to the country’s new King.
The UK’s top advocates and barristers will be referred to as King’s Counsel (KC) instead of Queen’s Counsel (QC), as those circa 1,9000 elite lawyers with more than 15 years’ worth of experience see a new title added to their names.
Cases brought forward on behalf of the crown will now cite Rex – the Latin word for King – instead of Regina – the Roman’s word for Queen – for the first time in more than 70 years.
The Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court – which deals with libel, personal injury, negligence, breach of contract, and human rights claims – will be referred to as the King’s Bench Division.
Judges, magistrates, and tribunal members will from now on make pledges to country’s new reigning monarch King Charles III, instead Queen Elizabeth II.