Aidan O’Neill QC takes silk south of the border

A senior member of the Faculty of Advocates is among 113 applicants who have been approved by Her Majesty the Queen for silk in England & Wales.

Aidan O’Neill QC, will have the rank of Queen’s Counsel bestowed formally on him at a ceremony at Westminster Hall next month.

Mr O’Neill was admitted to the Faculty in 1987 and became a QC in Scotland in 1999. He called to the bar of England & Wales in 1996, and to the bar of Northern Ireland in 2014.

Of the 113 successful applicants appointed Queen’s Counsel today (12 January 2017), 31 were women (up from 25 last year), and 16 were of a BAME background (up from 9). In addition, distinguished academics are among the five new Honorary Queen’s Counsel also appointed today.

Lord Chancellor Elizabeth Truss said: “I commend each of the 113 barristers and solicitors, alongside the five Honorary Queen’s Counsel, for their appointments.

“I want us to tap into all the talents of our society and today’s appointments are a step in the right direction. The number of women and BAME candidates applying and being successful is moving in the right direction.

“There is more to be done, but my message is clear - when you widen the pool of talent from which lawyers and judges are drawn, you make the justice system stronger.”

The list of new QCs south of the border can be downloaded here.