Silk: Record number of women applying
The appointments of 96 new King’s Counsel (see list here) were announced today, with the success rate falling for the seventh year in a row.
Figures from KC Appointments (KCA), the body that handles the process, showed that 326 applications were received in total, virtually the same as the previous year.
Only 45% were interviewed, the second year it has dropped below half in many years – in 2020, 63% of applicants were interviewed.
The overall success rate was 29.5%, the seventh year in a row it was lower than the year before (32% last year), having been 45% in 2018. Only two of the 11 employed barristers who applied, and none of the nine solicitors, were successful – or even interviewed.
A record 86 women applied, two higher than in 2024. The success rate was 34%, far below the all-time high of 63% recorded in 2021. But it remained higher than for men, 29% of whom were appointed.
Women were also more likely than men to be interviewed (51% v 44%).
There was a drop in the number of applications from ethnic minority barristers (52, compared to the 60 in 2024, although the previous record was 48 in 2023). However, only 37% were interviewed, compared to 45% of White barristers.
Of them, 11 (21%) were appointed, well below 2024. White applicants did better at 31%.
Last year, none of the 10 Black barristers who applied for silk succeeded, but two of the record 11 who applied for 2025 did.
Four of the 18 applicants (22%) who declared a disability were appointed.
In 2025, 150 applicants (46%) had applied in at least one of the three previous competitions, of whom 71 were not invited to interview, although 12 of these had been interviewed in a previous year.
In all, 48 (32%) repeat applicants were recommended for appointment compared to 48 (27%) of new applicants.
Eight honorary KCs were also named, including Colin Passmore, the chairman of the City of London Law Society and former senior partner of City firm Simmons & Simmons; solicitor Dean Dunham, a prominent consumer law expert and ADR advocate; Peter Kandler, a solicitor who co-founded the UK’s first law centre and was its first director, in North Kensington, in 1970; and HHJ Emma Nott, who was nominated for her efforts to drive fairness and equality at the Bar.
Bar Council chair Kirsty Brimelow KC said: “It is positive there are successful applicants from diverse backgrounds. However, any differences in success rates relating to protected characteristics are of concern to the Bar Council, Law Society and KC Appointments.
“Keeping in focus the poorer outcomes for those from minority groups over other years, there remains more work to do.
“We’ll continue to investigate where there are barriers to appointment, including at the employed Bar, and we’re keen to support further improvements to the processes for applying.”
Law Society president Mark Evans said he was “extremely disappointed” that no solicitors succeeded, pointing out that, since 1995, only 66 solicitors have been appointed out of approximately 231 applicants.
The proportion needed to increase, he said. “The Law Society supports a robust, merit-based application process that values a range of experiences. We are committed to seeing an improvement in these statistics and will continue to work with the KCA on increasing awareness of the steps involved in applying for KC status amongst our membership.”
Leave a Comment