Editing King's Counsel (section)

===Scotland===

The independent bar is organised as the [[Faculty of Advocates]] and its members are known not as barristers but as advocates. The position of Queen's Counsel was not recognised before 1868. The Scottish bar did have a concept of senior counsel before the introduction of the formal rank of Queen's Counsel. An advocate would self-declare that they were 'giving up writing', meaning that they would no longer draft pleadings and move onto a supervisory role in litigation. In practice this meant that the practitioner would review and revise the written pleadings of their junior.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shiels |first1=Robert S |title=Queen's Counsel in Scotland |journal=Scots Law Times |date=2007 |volume=2007 |issue=18 |page=121}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shiels |first1=Robert S |title=The introduction of silk into Scotland |journal=Scots Law Times |date=2017 |volume=2017 |issue=20 |page=99}}</ref>

Initially the status of QC was reserved first for law officers ([[Lord Advocate]] and [[Solicitor General for Scotland]]) and soon after for the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. In 1897, a petition by the Faculty of Advocates for the establishment of a Scottish roll of Queen's Counsel was approved, and the names of the first appointees were published in the Edinburgh Gazette on 3 September 1897.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shiels |first1=Robert S |title=The introduction of silk into Scotland |journal=Scots Law Times |date=2017 |volume=2017 |issue=20 |page=102}}</ref> By decision of [[James Robertson, Baron Robertson|Lord President Robertson]], these first Scottish Queen's Counsel were not required to make a declaration not to act against the Crown, and so Scottish King's Counsel have never been required to obtain a licence to plead in order to do so.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shiels |first1=Robert S |title=The introduction of silk into Scotland |journal=Scots Law Times |date=2017 |volume=2017 |issue=20 |page=101}}</ref>

In 2005, there were more than 150 QCs in Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2005/06/16100924 |title=Appointment of Queen's Counsel |publisher=Scotland.gov.uk |date=16 June 2005 |access-date=19 January 2012}}</ref> The appointment of King's Counsel is made on the recommendation of the [[Lord President of the Court of Session|Lord Justice General]] to the [[First Minister of Scotland]], formerly the [[Secretary of State for Scotland]]. In the 1990s, rules were changed so that solicitors with rights of audience in the [[Court of Session]] or High Court of Justiciary were permitted to apply for appointment, and two or three have done so. A solicitor advocate who is so appointed is designated as ''King's Counsel, Solicitor Advocate''.